Raytheon [RTN] has developed a mechanism that allows computer users to securely access multiple networks at varying security levels from a singular desktop device, the company said.
The mechanism, called WebShield, is a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) data guard that provides secure web searching and browsing capabilities from “high side” networks to lower level networks, according to a company statement. WebShield allows for the transparent protection of an entire network and not just a single local server. WebShield supports standard web browsers and requires no software installation on the user’s desktop.
Raytheon Trusted Computer Solutions Chief Operating Officer Ed Hammersla told Defense Daily in an interview Friday the Multi-Domain Dissemination System (MDDS) is the largest program using WebShield. MDDS is a search engine-like technology that allows intelligence providers and analysts to “browse down” through databases of both intelligence community and military computer networks, allowing analysts to produce more detailed, accurate reports.
Hammersla said approximately 200,000 people throughout the Defense Department and intelligence communities use MDDS daily. The underlying technology that the MDDS capability is based on, the design and engineering, was created by MITRE Corp.
The standard WebShield configuration allows secure “on-demand” web browsing from one security domain to another, eliminating data duplication and streamlining network traffic without the inherent risks and slowdowns that can come with traditional methods of transferring information between levels.
Hammersla said one of WebShield’s best qualities is its simplicity. Raytheon has another COTS solution called Trusted Thin Client (TTC) that provides users with secure simultaneous access to information on any number of different networks through a single connection point.
“The nice part about it is it doesn’t require a lot of desktop changes,” Hammersla said. “Trusted Thin Client does require you to change out your desktop from what you’re using to this technology…With WebShield, it just exists in the background.”
Hammersla said Raytheon is working to bring WebShield to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) because he believes there is a possibility to use the same infrastructure to allow people to browse from the DHS network down to state and local networks. Hammesla said the FBI and some Air Force communities also currently use WebShield.
“If you work at any number of the three letter agencies, you’re using it today,” Hammersla said. “It’s pretty widespread.”