Cross Domain Solutions

When every second counts, agencies must get sensitive data to those who need it, quickly, efficiently and securely. CDS support National Security and Law Enforcement Agencies by allowing users to securely bring information from other sources, partners, and remove networks into a centralised location to build a unified intelligence picture and then collaborate and share intelligence insights rapidly with those who need them. CDS also enable users to browse down securely from networks of high trust to those of lower trust, from their own desktops, without adding significant additional network infrastructure.

Defence organisations operate across many networks: they need to collaborate with other nations across sensitive networks, but control what is shared; they need to communicate quickly, often over disadvantaged links, with communication security being paramount. They need to run training exercises involving sensitive data and capability between different networks; they need to bring data together for monitoring (e.g. in a Security Operations Centre), of for Information Advantage in Joint Operations.

Many aspects of governing a nation require utmost confidentiality. From government classified documents, defence plans, foreign policy documents, all the way down to lists of employees, governments often find themselves needing to share information across security domains.

Industry is competitive and cost-driven. To become more efficient, drive down costs and improve competitiveness, CNI organisations need new ways to enable secure information exchanges to communicate with and control their industrial systems from their business IT networks - seamlessly and with minimal latency.

A Cross Domain Solution, or CDS, is a software-hardware system enabling secure access and data exchange between incompatible security domains. Also known as high speed Guard solutions, CDS allows for secure connectivity across networks with different security classifications, ensuring sensitive information remains protected.

A secure Cross Domain Solution (CDS) should prioritise both design and operational security. Examples of such solutions include independent assessments and lab-based security assessments (LBSA), along with trusted platforms and components. Ensuring robust security measures are in place is crucial for the effective functioning of any cross domain solution.

'Cross domain' refers to the process of accessing and transferring information between different security domains, either manually or automatically. This is crucial for ensuring seamless communication and sharing of data across different systems. By enabling secure cross-domain access, organisations can enhance collaboration and streamline information exchange, ultimately improving overall efficiency and productivity.

A Cross Domain Solution (CDS) high to low refers to an information security system that controls and restricts data transfer between trusted and untrusted domains. It enforces an organisation's security policies to allow or deny the flow of information. CDSs play a critical role in managing the transfer of data from high-security domains to low-security domains and vice versa.