Hardware Protection
Hardware security is defined in the Department of
the Navy Automatic Data Processing Security Program,
OPNAVINST 5239.1, as Computer equipment
features or devices used in an AIS system to preclude
unauthorized, accidental or intentional modification,
disclosure, or destruction of AIS resources.
DATA PROTECTION MEASURES
FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards)
PUB 39 Glossary for Computer Systems Security
defines data security as The protection of data from
unauthorized (accidental or intentional) modification,
destruction, or disclosure. We are always concerned
with the integrity of data; is the data the same as that in
the source documents? We want to ensure that the data
has not been exposed to accidental or intentional
modification, disclosure, or destruction.
Depending on the type of data being processed, the
other users with access to the system, and the technical
features of the system to provide the needed safeguards,
the system may have to operate in a specific security
mode.
If your command processes classified and/or
sensitive unclassified data, it must abide by certain rules
to protect it. In the central computer facility (where the
host computer is located), the physical security
requirements will be equal to the highest classification
of data being handled.
If there are two or more
computer systems located in the same controlled area,
the systems should be separated to limit direct personnel
access to a specific system.
In remote terminal areas, security requirements are
based upon the highest classification of data to be
accessed through the terminals. Each remote terminal
must be identifiable through hardware or software
features when it is connected to a computer system or
network processing classified data. The system or
network must know who is logging on.
If the computer system to which your remote
terminal is connected is processing classified data and
your terminal is not authorized, controlled, or protected
for that classification of data, it must be disconnected.
The disconnect procedures may be by a hardware
measure (such as turning off a switch at the host
computer) or a software measure (such as deleting the
ID of your terminal during certain processing periods).
Because each data classification has different security
requirements, we cover each separately.
Classified Data
Handling requirements and procedures for
classified AIS media (Confidential, Secret, and Top
Secret) are the same as those for handling classified
information. Anyone who has possession of classified
material is responsible for safeguarding it at all times.
You need to be familiar with the four security modes
that provide for processing classified data: system
high, dedicated, multilevel, and controlled.
SYSTEM HIGH SECURITY MODE. A
computer system is in the system high security mode
when the central computer facility and all of the
connected peripheral devices and remote terminals are
protected in accordance with the requirements for the
highest classification category and type of material then
contained in the system. All personnel having
computer system access must have a security clearance,
but not necessarily a need-to-know for all material then
contained in the system. In this mode, the design and
operation of the computer system must provide for the
control of concurrently available classified material in
the system on the basis of need-to-know.
DEDICATED SECURITY MODE. A com-
puter system is operating in the dedicated security mode
when the central computer facility and all of its
connected peripheral devices and remote terminals are
exclusively used and controlled by specific users or
group of users having a security clearance and
need-to-know for the processing of a particular
category(ies) and type(s) of classified material.
MULTILEVEL SECURITY MODE. A
computer system is operating in the multilevel security
mode when it provides a capability permitting various
categories and types of classified materials to be stored
and processed concurrently in a computer system and
permitting selective access to such material
concurrently by uncleared users and users having
differing security clearances and need-to-know.
Separation of personnel and material on the basis of
security clearance and need-to-know is accordingly
accomplished by the operating system and associated
system software. In a remotely accessed
resource-sharing system, the material can be selectively
accessed and manipulated from variously controlled
terminals by personnel having different security
clearances and need-to-know. This mode of operation
can accommodate the concurrent processing and
storage of (1) two or more categories of classified data,
or (2) one or more categories of classified data with
unclassified data, depending upon the constraints
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