Understanding that working with, and supplying deliverables to, the MOD would be a key output, the challenge of utilising secure IT, accredited by the MOD for use at OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE, would be vital.
How do you communicate and work at OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE without reliance on MOD equipment and infrastructure?
As a company, we were keen to avoid critical dependencies on MOD-provided infrastructure or the need to “buy into” a dedicated RLI connection. Utilising in-house expertise and working closely with the MOD Accreditation Authority (CyDR), Park Row Securities Limited designed, configured and launched an affordable secure cloud platform (DISX®) that meets both our business requirement and satisfies government security policy, ultimately achieving a fully accredited solution for processing information classified up to OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE (OS). In achieving connectivity to DEFNet, we were also able to mitigate having to arrange complex and expensive direct connectivity to the RLI.
It is possible to have a cloud platform secured and accredited to hold OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE
One of the primary difficulties for companies engaging with government is collaboration at OS using email exchange. Working closely with the MOD Accreditation Authority, DISX® is configured to implement all email controls securing email in transit to the MOD and other Government departments for email exchange. The security of the data-in-transit, from DISX® to MOD, combined with hardened and managed End User Devices (EUDs), including BYOD mobile phones, results in the ability to communicate and collaborate easily with Government Departments.
With appropriate controls around system components and information flows, it is possible to send OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE emails over the Internet
In satisfying our own business requirements, and with the addition of a robust service wrap, DISX® was able to be delivered to other SME organisations as a Commercial Off Shelf (COTS) managed service. This provides Defence SMEs access to a rapidly deployable, affordable, and highly capable solution to deliver OS outputs into MOD, as well as instant, secure, email connectivity.
The key features of DISX® are:
- Accredited Baseline for the processing and transmission of OS information
- Fully mobile solution, supporting the homeworking environment
- Ongoing maintenance, support, and remote management
- Evergreen platform introducing new functionality and security features
- Protective monitoring and alerting meeting MOD and Industry security best practices
- Threat Intelligence feeds
- Change and Service Management
Through Park Row Securities Limited development and delivery of the DISX® solution, valuable lessons have been learnt, but the key message we wanted to share, particularly to fellow SMEs, is that: