DOD steps to prevent the further Cablegate-InformationWeek

The Department of Defense (DOD) is taking decisive steps to ensure the separation of the networks, so as to escape the scandal doesn't happen again, last year Cablegate new DOD CIO Teri Takai said last week.

The Committee of the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs, Takai, who recently took the position after serving as CIO in California--said that the dod is currently in the middle of the introduction of new security technologies DOD SIPRNet's classified networks, in order to prevent future breaches of the insider.

"The unauthorized disclosure of information the US WikiLeaks adversely affect our global engagement and national security and endangering the lives of individuals, who seek to cooperate with the United States," she said. "It is vital for the DoD and the whole of the US Government, that we have our sensitive and classified information safe while at the same time to ensure that the right people have timely access they need to help keep our country and its citizens safe."

A rough year last year, the DOD actually continued his fight with Wikileaks, which posts classified documents from many organisations, including the Federal Government.

At the end of July 2010, Wikileaks released thousands of DOD classified documents relating to the war in Afghanistan, then followed by the publishing, 400 000 classified Iraq protocols in October.

But it was the release of thousands of classified cables, the US Embassy at the end of November, which prompted the international incident that became known as Cablegate, which caused many of the serious question of safety at the DOD. Army private Bradley Manning was arrested last June and suspected a leak after the removal of the SIPRNet.

After carrying out studies on how it can improve network security, DOD began to perform host-based security system for all of its workstations and to prevent the removal of large amounts of data from removable device into rewriting the SIPRNet úložišteVýboru Takai said. Her testimony is available online.

Takai he described how the system works. She said she was "very positive technical control" over the machine and provides reports on the configuration of the workstation, which can be centrally monitored.

Although the system allows you to delete data from some of the machines, HBSS report in real time of each operation, said Takai. Report any unauthorized attempt to move the data and rewrite it.

DoD also has a backup plan to ensure that other Cablegate happen, while waiting for the full introduction of the new system, she added.

"If it is not yet fully developed HBSS other means are used to disable writing ability, such as the removal of the software for the CD, remove the units from the machines, or blocks access to external devices in the configuration files of the working station" Takai said in her testimony.

DOD also initiated the issuance of credentials based on public key infrastructure PKI identity smart cards to people who have access to the SIPRNet users, with a plan to issue 500 000 cards and workstations equipped with card reader and software to the end of the year 2012, she said. This will replace the system with a password of the user to use now for access to the SIPRNet, which does not provide the appropriate access rights.

The new system "will provide a very strong identification of the person, access to the network and request for data," said Takai. "It will discourage bad behavior and require absolute identification of who is accessing data and control access."

The testimony of one of the first public appearance in marked from its place of Takai 5. November. President Obama nominated Takai in March 2010 DOD CIO position. However, in September in the middle of an ongoing reorganization within the IT operations and organizational structure, her nomination was withdrawn.

Then in a somewhat surprising step 25. October, Takai said her staff that she was leaving the California situation and with the DoD CIO position after all.

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