AFRL ENGINEERS COMPLETE ISSE V3.6 CRITICAL DESIGN REVIEW

  • Published
  • By Plans and Programs Directorate
  • AFRL/XP
AFRL engineers successfully completed a critical design review (CDR) of the Information Support Server Environment (ISSE) version 3.6. Upon completion of the CDR, AFRL received approval to proceed with implementation from major stakeholders, which include the Air Force Command and Control Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Center (AFC2ISRC); Director of National Intelligence Chief Information Office; Defense Intelligence Agency; Defense Information Systems Agency; and National Security Administration. ISSE v3.6 is an AFC2ISRC-sponsored controlled interface (CI) capable of connecting multiple security domains and facilitating the secure transfer of various formatted and unformatted data types between those domains.
AFRL is developing ISSE v3.6 to provide intelligence analysts and operational users a cross-domain data transfer solution that complies with Director of Central Intelligence Directive 6/3. The new version represents a complete overhaul of the previous version and provides increased flexibility, expands input/output options, dramatically improves throughput, centralizes audit collection and analysis, uses public key infrastructure (PKI) encryption, and automates transfer of highly structured data. The new architecture extends the system to allow bidirectional data transfers between a single, controlling security domain (such as a Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communication System network) and multiple, noncontrolling security domains (such as the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network and coalition networks).
AFRL designed the new version's highly extensible architecture to be the first CI to provide cross-domain transfer of unstructured data input from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) e-mail applications, COTS browsers, and file directory drops. ISSE v3.6 will simultaneously accommodate automated transfer of structured data from information systems through the ISSE application programming interface. The new version has advanced file-type checking, virus scanning, malicious code inspection, and Microsoft® Office hidden-content inspection capabilities to protect the connected networks and prevent spillage of highly classified information to lower-security domains. PKI mechanisms maintain data integrity. ISSE v3.6 will provide operational users within the Air Force, Department of Defense Intelligence Information System, and intelligence community an increased ability to share information across security domains, while simultaneously reducing the risk associated with allowing connections to classified security domains.