Security Issues
To help contractors understand that working in Iraq was not like working back home, training on cyber security for all users had to be accomplished. The team used computer forensics to track users who tried to violate the rules. For example, a problem that had to be overcome was that contractors tried to send sensitive information back to the United States, which could have put them or the Iraqi workers in grave danger because the information was not encrypted when transmitted. The ability to bind security systems to the physical systems within the main computer center operations area was developed so that all workers could feel safer.
Another challenge that had to be overcome was that the system interfaced with the State Department, the ACE Gulf Region division (GRD), the coalition, and the Iraqi government. The team was instrumental in resolving the information assurance challenges inherent in migrating from a military to a commercial environment while preserving the war fighters' network and accommodating and developing secure systems (including Top Secret and higher security levels) for the military to be used in the same building as Iraqis. This effort included the development of Voice over Internet Protocol and wireless (Wi-Fi) systems (both secure and commercial), keeping a defense in-depth philosophy so that data (both voice and computer generated) would not compromise the organizations that needed the information. The team also supported diverse needs of multiple, direct support entities and ensured that the IT infrastructure accommodated six different networks without compromising information security or system capability.
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Practical
Technical Challenges
