Ep. 233 Boosting Federal Cyber Resilience Through Cross-Domain Solutions

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The federal government needs to share information on a wide variety of platforms and must provide methods to ensure this transmission is secure. Of course, the hard part is the "how" part of this data transfer.

Tim Fuhl from Owl Cyber Defense gives the listener an overview of how Owl Cyber Defense can help federal agencies share information securely.

To accomplish this task, he discusses two fundamental concepts: diodes and Cross Domain Solutions.

Diodes. This is a mysterious word that was liberated from electrical engineers. When designing a semiconductor, one may need to create a one-way path to prevent a signal from returning. The solution in electronic design is a "diode."

Owl Cyber Defense took an electrical concept called a diode, which provided "one-way" data transfer. When they combined this one-way street with a data path, they developed a "data diode," a device that limits data transfer to one direction, protecting the system from a reverse movement.

When it comes to securing federal systems, a "data" diode is a device that restricts data transfer one way, essentially creating a one-way street.

Cross Domain Solutions. One of the newest abbreviations in the world of security is Cross Domain Solution (CDS). The federal technical world is comprised of levels of protection. As a result, what is needed is a way for communication between varying security levels.

During the interview, Tim Fuhl defines both terms and gives examples of where this innovation can be applied to federal systems.