Access to Geospatial Intelligence for US Intelligence Community

BAE Systems has launched its next-generation XTS GUARD 7, which provides US intelligence organisations with secure access to geospatial imagery and data through multi-directional transfer of different data types across classified and unclassified domains. XTS GUARD 7 is a cybersecurity appliance solution that resides between networks with differing levels of security classification: it is a key component for secure information sharing between programmes and agencies using intelligence libraries.

Equipped with the company’s Geospatial eXploitation Products (GXP), BAE Systems’ newest GUARD builds on the proven, reliable XTS GUARD 5 platform. The new capability meets the National Security Agency’s (NSA) recently released National Cross Domain Solution ‘Raise the Bar’ (RTB) design and implementation requirements for filtering, sanitising and decomposing data. RTB is a cyber-security initiative established by the NSA to combat escalating threats while continually improving the status quo in the cross-domain community.

“Our product is the ‘guard of choice’ for Department of Defense and other intelligence community enterprises,” explained BAE Systems’ General Manager of Cyber Security Products, Douglas Steil. “We created a superior product predicated on design patterns outlined by the NSA, and have proven XTS GUARD 7’s readiness to deliver operational success for a number of US government entities and agencies.”

Built to support the simple plug-in of leading content filters, XTS GUARD 7 offers easy and secure communication with coalition partner countries. The product’s STOP operating system further enhances security, by allowing for data heterogeneity, reducing vulnerabilities across the architectures defined by the NSA.

XTS GUARD 7 protocols include Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and DSG, which is a persistent socket proprietary protocol. The product’s architecture can support multi-enclave and multi-compartment controlled information sharing, with advanced administration and auditing. It supports up to 28 enclaves or domains, and is compatible with filters or Data Format Description Language libraries. Additionally, XTS GUARD 7 is available in a small form factor that handles up to 10 domains for land, sea, and airborne vehicle deployments.

The system is operationally cost-effective for customers upgrading their current architectures and migrating to RTB-accredited design patterns. BAE Systems currently offers an affordable upgrade path for existing and accredited XTS GUARD 5 customers requiring a move to the RTB architecture. The company is the only vendor to build and offer both the XTS GUARD 7 and the unidirectional data diodes required in RTB solutions.