Protection of Vital Data (POVD)

CTC has gained extensive experience providing analytical, scientific, test, and engineering expertise across varied Information Technology (IT) domains through the Protection of Vital Data (POVD) Program.  Our certified engineers, backed with years of IT experience, have assessed, analyzed, and provided comprehensive solutions to network integration and security issues.  We have successfully developed innovative methods to assess, test, and demonstrate information assurance technologies, as well as ensuring that IT products and services meet organizational standards and perform to defined design, cost, schedule, and performance specifications.  We can apply these methods to the continual development of an IT infrastructure to assure maximum availability and highest integrity of critical data.  POVD is an example of how CTC, as a nonprofit, government-trusted integrator, unhindered by a profit motive or product line, objectively provides independent, test, validation, verification and evaluation of Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) and Government off-the-Shelf (GOTS) technologies.

The POVD Program

The Protection of Vital Data (POVD) Program enhances the Cyber-Attack Sensing, Warning and Response (ASW&R) capability of the United States and the Department of Defense (DoD).  The DoD has issued directives to improve the security posture of our country’s networks and improve the awareness of those who administer and manage networks.  POVD takes a comprehensive approach to improving situational awareness, increasing overall network security, and providing tools and applications to help system administrators protect their networks.

Attack Sensing, Warning & Response (ASW&R)

Attack Sensing, Warning & Response (ASW&R) is the backbone of every successful network infrastructure.  CTC led a team of subject-matter experts in a yearlong effort to develop a comprehensive architecture that provides guidance for secure and effective ASW&R operations in national defense critical network enclaves.  The result was the publication of Version 1.0 of a High Assurance Enclave ASW&R Architecture.  This document provides comprehensive guidance for ASW&R networking concerns and includes a high-level design for High Assurance Enclave ASW&R architecture deemed essential by the DoD Command and Control, Communications, and Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Architectural Framework.

ASW&R develops and evaluates products, tools, techniques and procedures to detect network attacks and malicious activities.  ASW&R provides warning and response capability to local system administrators and security administrators, as well as to national authorities regarding attacks against critical aspects of the Defense Information Infrastructure (DII) and, subsequently, the National Information Infrastructure (NII).  The National Attack Sensing, Warning & Response Laboratory assesses and demonstrates cyber attack and detect/respond technologies and products in a systems context.

Ensuring Highly Capable, Robust Information Assurance Technology

We support the strategic defense of essential U.S. Government network infrastructures and operations against compromise or corruption by ensuring the supply of highly capable security-robust Information Assurance (IA) products.  The National Security Agency’s (NSA’s) Network Infrastructure Products and Technology Division supports the strategic defense of essential U.S. Government network infrastructures and operations against compromise or corruption by ensuring the supply of highly capable security-robust IA products.  The division focuses on IA technology that supports the mitigation, reduction, or elimination of symmetric and asymmetric attacks by external and internal adversaries against our nation’s computer networks.