Cross domain solutions (ITSE.80.030)

Unclassified

Obtaining the right information at the right time in the right place is critical for organizations to carry out their day-to-day business. This requirement must be balanced with the appropriate information protection measures. Historically, organizations’ information has been protected by separating networks having different levels of information. However, this separation makes it difficult to share information.

Challenge

Accessing information that resides on networks that are separate from the one we use daily is not a simple undertaking, posing problems and causing unnecessary delays. To directly connect your network to others with different sensitivities, in order to access information, could expose the organizations to potential data spillage or external threats that can have severe repercussions.

Solution

Cross Domain Solutions (CDS) is an answer to balancing access and security. CDS are information technology architectures that provide users with the ability to access or transfer information to or from different environments in a secure manner. CDS can provide the following benefits to organizations and their employees:

• CDS allow for the safe and secure transfer of information to or from differing environments improving accountability for and auditing of the information being transferred. They also reduce the risk of information leakage as manual transfer devices (e.g., CDs or USBs) can be easily lost or stolen, and can inadvertently transfer malware from one system to another.
• CDS provide more secure systems minimizing compromise (e.g., information leakage, malware infection, or network intrusion). Consequently, recovery from compromise is less costly, and reputation and quality of service are preserved.
• CDS consolidate desktop-computing resources and improve user experience by allowing users to access, from a single workstation with a keyboard and mouse, information from various environments. Consolidating resources increases productivity while reducing expenses and the office footprint.

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