[Infowarrior] - Pentagon chiefs buy net-security early warning system

[Richard Forno]

Pentagon chiefs buy net-security early warning system


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/10/raytheon_netops_sa_deal/
By Lewis Page • Get more from this author

Posted in Science, 10th November 2009 15:52 GMT

US weapons megacorp Raytheon is chuffed to announce that it and allied  
firms have landed a $28m deal from the Pentagon to provide an early- 
warning system for defence against cyber attacks on military networks.

The programme in question is referred to by the Defence Information  
Systems Agency (DISA) as "Network Operations Situational Awareness" or  
NetOps SA. NetOps SA is just one of the netwar systems the agency  
intends to procure in coming years, under the general slogan "Arming  
the Cyber Warrior". (Powerpoint Presentation here.)

According to DISA, NetOps SA will primarily use two "classified thin  
client web applications" known as the Global Information Grid  
Customizable Operational Picture (GIGCOP) and the User-Defined  
Operational Picture (CND UDOP). The new NetOps SA deal with Raytheon  
will see these tools integrated into one system and further developed.

"Our work providing end-to-end cybersecurity to the GIG networks is a  
valuable guide as we design a robust system to protect the DoD's  
sensitive information," said Raytheon netwar chief Andy Zogg.

It seems that the UDOP app at least was originally developed by  
General Dynamics, who are now part of the NetOps SA consortium along  
with Raytheon, SAIC, Eye Street Software and BCMC.

Overall the purpose of NetOps SA seems to be to act as a kind of early- 
warning screen for network-defence sysadmin cyberwarriors, letting  
them know at once when the hats of a different colour begin to probe  
and meddle with their networks. Or as Raytheon put it, NetOps SA will  
"enable the Department of Defense to quickly detect network intrusions  
and assess the overall health of its network".

Raytheon seem to be having a bit of a push into cyberwar gear at the  
moment, having recently unveiled their SureView™ "government insider  
threat management" spy- or mole-sniffer tech to an astonished world. ®