Sharing real-time information across different parts of a large enterprise, or externally with partners, is fraught with both technology challenges and security risks. Issues in establishing video conferences, problems with transmitting large documents and user access issues, are all testament to the difficulty of linking proprietary corporate communications systems and third parties.
In the defence and security sector, these technical challenges are manifestly increased when we overlay the requirement to connect at differing security and classification levels. Yet the requirement to see, share and exploit data has never been more pronounced, and the pressures on time and resources never greater.
We are committed to investing in cross-domain solutions to help UK Government achieve Information Advantage, with a suite of gateways operating across all classification levels. Our latest Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Gateway enables data, including video, to be securely transferred between systems at different levels of classification, security or trust, incorporating line-rate real-time metadata redaction or modification.
Everyone talks about sharing and exploiting data in real-time. We’re making that a reality for many customers for the very first time. Iain Porter, Senior Software Engineer, BAE Systems
The ISR Gateway securely connects corporate networks, internet-facing systems, and secure defence and intelligence systems. It meets NATO standards for sharing data with coalition partners and allows those partners to redact or restrict access to metadata where that may reveal sensitive military capabilities. It means, for example, surveillance video can be shared with coalition partners on the ground, without revealing the nature or sensitive details of the surveillance asset. In disaster situations, defence groups can share crucial aerial video data in real-time with other recovery agencies, knowing that embedded sensitive metadata is removed at the gateway and never leaves their network.
The ISR Gateway can be deployed in central network facilities or at a forward operating base. A future variant will use a tactical rugged form factor, allowing platform deployment; for example where a platform contains systems and sensors at multiple classification levels.
Cross-domain problems are not new, but we are now enabling customers to prosecute their business with an ease not before possible. By sharing data between systems, without providing network access to either system, we reduce the zero-attack surface to the minimum possible.
