The View From NCS Technologies

Test Drive Superior Security & Manageability

Government workers have the opportunity to explore and demo advanced virtualization technologies at the ACQUIRE Conference & Expo today and tomorrow at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. NCS Technologies can be found at Booth 1420.

NCS Technologies is showcasing a number of leading virtualization solutions that are optimized for IT managers concerned with government-level security, manageability of all network elements and low cost of ownership.

ACQUIRE's two day conference program addresses the most pressing priorities and issues for government, military and contractor professionals looking to deliver on agency missions. The conference provides IT managers insights into how to leverage the government's acquisition vehicles to support their agencies' IT programs.

One solution that is showcased at Booth 1420 is SecureView. 

SecureView is a multi-level virtual platform which allows a user to run multiple securely isolated environments on a single PC or workstation, provide hardware-enforced security and deliver superior virtualization in the most demanding environments. The virtual platform is made possible by extensive development work by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the open source community, Assured Information Security and NCS.

SecureView is based on Type 1 or bare metal client hypervisor and allows a single computer to host multiple guest VMs running at different classification levels. SecureView addresses a wide variety of use cases.

 Full-Service System Integrator - and More

In my last blog I highlighted how NCS was a leading full-service system integrator. Our integration and logistics services, and our deep relationships with Tier 1 OEM partners, makes us a valuable asset for any company needing a strong partner in the IT space. At our manufacturing campus, NCS has a secure and climate-controlled 55,000-square-foot facility, registered to ISO 9001:2008 and 14001, optimized for flexibility and quick response for any need involving engineering, manufacturing, inventory management or logistics.

Our highly trained professionals here offer design services, manufacturing services such as full-system integration and configuration control, logistics and warehousing, user-side services, such as CONUS and OCONUS installation and on-site repairs, and comprehensive warranty services.

Take a Look at NCS-Branded Systems

But NCS has much more to offer our many customers in government, the military, and commercial markets such as healthcare and financial services. For instance, NCS has deep experience in manufacturing and selling NCS Branded computer systems, including x86 desktops and workstations, zero client desktops and notebooks, and server and storage built with the latest Intel technologies.

NCS offers a family of desktop computers that are highly customizable for any requirement or need. Our affordable Stratus 5480 Series, which features Intel's 6th-generation Core processors and integrated Intel HD graphics support, supports up to three displays simultaneously. Our Stratus 7480 Series also features Intel's 6th-generation Core processors and provides improved performance by using serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability. It supports up to six USB ports, six SATA ports, DDR4 memory and many ways to customize.

In addition, NCS branded workstations and desktops computers are the hardware of choice for SecureView. SecureView is a multi-level virtual platform which allows a user to run multiple securely isolated environments on a single PC or workstation, provide hardware-enforced security and deliver superior virtualization in the most demanding environments. The virtual platform is made possible by extensive development work by the Air Force Research Laborator (AFRL), the open source community, Assured Information Security and NCS.

SecureView, a Multi-level Virtual Platform

SecureView is a multi-level virtual platform which allows a user to run multiple securely isolated environments on a single PC or workstation, provide hardware-enforced security and deliver superior virtualization in the most demanding environments. The virtual platform is made possible by extensive development work by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the open source community, Assured Information Security and NCS.

SecureView is based on Type 1 or bare metal client hypervisor and allows a single computer to host multiple guest VMs running at different classification levels. SecureView addresses a wide variety of use cases.

What Is SecureView?

SecureView is a multi-level virtual platform which allows a user to run multiple securely isolated environments on a single PC or workstation, provide hardware-enforced security and deliver superior virtualization in the most demanding environments. The virtual platform is made possible by extensive development work by the Air Force Research Laborator (AFRL), the open source community, Assured Information Security and NCS.

SecureView:

• Is a low-cost, multiple-independent levels of security (MILS) workstation-based COTS technology
• Is based on Type 1 or bare metal client hypervisor
• Allows single computer to host multiple guest VMs running at different classification levels
• Addresses a wide variety of use cases

Government analysts looking for superior, hardware-enforced computer security are increasingly turning to SecureView.

What You Can Do WithSecureView

Government analysts looking for superior, hardware-enforced computer security are increasingly turning to SecureView, an approach championed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). SecureView is a multi-level virtual platform which allows a user to run multiple securely isolated environments on a single PC or workstation, provide hardware-enforced security and deliver superior virtualization in the most demanding environments. The virtual platform is made possible by extensive development work by the AFRL, the open source community, Assured Information Security and NCS.

At a recent trade show we showed off our latest NCS Technologies Vortex workstation running SecureView 2.1 with all the bells and whistles - Liquid-cooled Intel Core i7 processor, multiple high-end graphics cards, fiber NICs, 32GB of RAM, multiple monitors.

What You Can Do WithSecureView

SecureView is a multi-level virtual platform which allows a user to run multiple securely isolated environments (typically up to five or six environments up till now) on a single PC, provide hardware-enforced security and deliver superior virtualization in the most demanding environments. The virtual platform is made possible by extensive development work by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the open source community, Assured Information Security and NCS.

The great thing about the latest SecureView 2.1 is the ability to run more isolated environments than was previously possible. Our feedback is that analysts need to run 7, 8 or even 15 VMs in some cases to replace all of the physical PCs on the desktop.

We wrapped up booth operations today in Baltimore at the 2015 Defensive Cyber Operations Symposium and many conversations centered on the topic of virtualization.  Whether virtualizing the desktop in a datacenter environment (VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, etc.) or on a host workstation (OpenXT, SecureView) everyone recognizes the benefits of consolidation and centralizing management.

Secure, multi-level computing in government agencies has always been a challenge for end users and IT administrators. The idea of consolidating networks to fewer physical machines is not new, and has been addressed in different ways by various hardware and software approaches over the years. This blog addresses SecureView in this context.

SecureView, the Latest Approach

SecureView represents the latest approach to the multi-level network problem. SecureView is a multi-level virtual platform which allows a user to run multiple securely isolated environments on a single PC, provide hardware-enforced security and deliver superior virtualization in the most demanding environments. The virtual platform is made possible by extensive development work by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the open source community, Assured Information Security and NCS Technologies. Other programs such as DTS and SABER aimed to achieve similar goals but none of them do it as well.