Us Military Machine As Well As News Reckoner Networks

(Updated: Nov 18, 2016)

From the Snowden revelations nosotros learned non exclusively nearly NSA information collection projects, exactly also nearly many software tools that are used to analyze together with search those data. These programs run on secure reckoner networks, isolated from Blue Planet internet. Here nosotros volition render an overview of these networks that are used yesteryear the US armed services together with US intelligence agencies.

Besides reckoner networks, they also utilisation a number of dedicated telephone networks, exactly gradually these are transferred from traditional circuit-switched networks to NSTS telephone scheme is right away fully IP-based.

An old NSTS telephone together with a KVM-switch which enables switching betwixt physically
separated networks, inwards this instance ii Unclassified (green labels), 1 Secret
(red label) together with 1 Top Secret/SCI (orange together with xanthous label) network
(National Security Operations Center, 2006 - Click to enlarge)

US national networks

The principal US armed services together with intelligence reckoner networks are (of course) exclusively accessible for authorized personnel from the United States. Special safety measures are inwards identify to foreclose interception yesteryear unusual intelligence agencies. Most of the tools together with programs used yesteryear NSA run on JWICS together with NSANet, exactly hither nosotros exclusively refer them when this is confirmed yesteryear documents.

DNI-U (Director National Intelligence-Unclassified)
- Until 2006: Open Source Information System (OSIS)
- Classification level: Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU, color code: green)
- Access: US intelligence users
- Controlled by: DNI-CIO Intelligence Community Enterprise Services role (ICES)
- Purpose: Providing opened upward rootage information; consists of a grouping of secure intranets used yesteryear the US Intelligence Community (IC)
- Computer applications: Intelink-U, Intellipedia, EViTAP, etc.

Page of the Unclassified version of Intellipedia
This 1 from the CIA's AIN network
(Click to enlarge)

NIPRNet (Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Network)
- Classification level: Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU, color code: green)
- Secured by: Network traffic monitored yesteryear the TUTELAGE programme together with TACLANE (KG-175A/D) network encryptors
- Address format: http://subdomains.domain.smil.mil
- E-mail format: john.doe@mail.smil.mil
- Access: users from multiple US intelligence agencies together with authorities departments (and some unusual partners)TOP SECRET/SCI (color code: yellow)
- Secured by: TACLANE (KG-175A/D) network encryptors *
- Address format: http://subdomains.domain.ic.gov
- E-mail format: john.doe@agency.ic.gov
- Access: users from multiple US intelligence agencies together with authorities departments
- Controlled by: DIA, with administration delegated to AFISR
- Purpose: Collaboration together with sharing of intelligence information inside the US Intelligence Community (IC)
- Computer applications: ICE-mail, Intelink-TS, Intellipedia, GHOSTMACHINE, ROYALNET, TREASUREMAP, ICREACH, Joint Deployable Intelligence Support System (JDISS), etc.
- Phone Service: DoD Intelligence Information System (DoDIIS) VoIP telephone system
- Secure Video Teleconferencing (VTC)

Web-browser with a JWICS address for the ROYALNET tool

These diverse armed services together with intelligence networks run on a world-wide physical infrastructure that is called the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN), which is maintained yesteryear the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) together with consists of landline, mobile, radio together with satellite communication links.

Most of these communication links are non connected to Blue Planet internet, exactly because radio together with satellite transmissions tin easily endure intercepted yesteryear unusual countries, the safety of these networks is assured yesteryear encryption. This encryption tin also endure used to run higher classified traffic over communication links with a lower classification degree through Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnels.

Classified communications accept to endure protected yesteryear Suite Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Cryptography, which contains real potent together with classified encryption algorithms. On most networks this is implemented yesteryear using Type 1 certified TACLANE (KG-175A/D) in-line network encryptors made yesteryear General Dynamics:

(Diagram: General Dynamics)

As long there's the appropriate potent link encryption, exclusively the halt points with the reckoner terminals (where information are processed earlier they are encrypted) involve strict physical together with digital safety requirements inwards club to foreclose whatsoever form of eavesdropping or interception yesteryear unusual adversaries.

Most American armed services bases are connected to the SIPRNET backbone, exactly for tactical users inwards the field, the SIPRNet together with JWICS networks tin extend to mobile sites through Satellite Communications (SATCOM) links, similar for illustration TROJAN SPIRIT together with TROJAN SPIRIT LITE, which consist of a satellite concluding that tin endure on a pallet, inwards a shelter, on a trailer or fifty-fifty connected to a transit case.

Other US goverment departments together with intelligence agencies also accept their ain reckoner networks at dissimilar classification levels:

FBI
- LEO (Law Enforcement Online; Unclassified, for police describe enforcement communications)
- FBINet (Federal Bureau of Investigation Network; Secret)
- SCION (Sensitive Compartmented Information Operational Network; Top Secret/SCI)

DHS
- HSIN (Homeland Security Information Network; Unclassified)
- HSDN (Homeland Secure Data Network; Secret)

State Department
- OpenNet (Unclassified)
- ClassNet (Secret; address format: http://subdomain.state.sgov.gov)
- INRISS (INR Intelligence Support System; Top Secret/SCI)

Department of Energy
- DOENet (DOE Corporate Network; Unclassified)
- ECN/U (Emergency Communications Network/Unclassified)
- ECN/C (Emergency Communications Network/Classified)

CIA
- AIN (Agency InterNet; Unclassified)
- ADN (Agency Data Network?; Top Secret/SCI)

NRO
- GWAN (Government Wide Area Network, also known every bit NRO Management Information System (NMIS); Top Secret)
- CWAN (Contractor Wide Area Network; Top Secret)

NGA
- NGANet (National Geospational intelligence Agency Network; Top Secret/SCI)

Finally, there's the Capitol Network (CapNet, formerly known every bit Intelink-P), which provides Congressional intelligence consumers with connectivity to Intelink-TS together with CIASource, the latter beingness the CIA's primary dissemination vehicle for both finished together with unfinished intelligence reports.

Overview of major Homeland Security reckoner networks
From a briefing for Congress, July 2004

US multinational networks

Besides the aforementioned networks that are exclusively accessible for authorized armed services together with intelligence personnel from the United States, at that spot are also reckoner networks ready yesteryear the US for multinational coalitions, together with which hence tin also endure used yesteryear officials from partner countries.

The grouping of countries that accept access to such coalition networks is oftentimes denoted yesteryear a number of "Eyes" corresponding with the number of countries that participate.

NSANet (National Security Agency Network)
- Classification level: TOP SECRET/SCI (color code: yellow)
- Secured by: TACLANE network encryptors *
- Address format: http://subdomain.domain.nsa
- E-mail format: john.doe@nsa
- Access: US, UK, CAN, AUS, NZL signals intelligence users
- Controlled by: NSA, with administration delegated to CSS Texas
- Purpose: Sharing intelligence information with the v Eyes partners
- Computer applications: InfoWorkSpace (IWS), SIDToday (newsletter), TREASUREMAP, MAILORDER, MARINA, TURBINE, PRESSUREWAVE, INTERQUAKE, CATAPULT, Cellular Information Service (WCIS), GATC Opportunity Volume Analytic, etc.
- Phone service: NSTS (National Secure Telephone System)

Web-browser with NSANet address for the INTERQUAKE tool, used yesteryear NSA's
Special Collection Service (SCS, organizational code: F6) units
(Click for the total presentation)

Besides NSANet every bit its full general purpose intranet, NSA also operates several other reckoner networks, for illustration for hacking operations conducted yesteryear the TAO-division. We tin run across some of these networks inwards the next diagram, which shows how information acquire (counter-clockwise) from a bot inwards a victim's reckoner on the internet, through a network codenamed WAITAUTO to TAONet together with from at that spot through a TAONet/NSANet DeMilitarized Zone (DMZ) to information repositories together with analysing tools on NSANet:

Diagram showing the information time period for TAO botnet hacking operations
(Source: NSA presentation - Click to enlarge)

PEGASUS
- Until 2010: GRIFFIN (Globally Reaching Interconnected Fully Functional Information Network)
- Classification level: SECRET//REL FVEY
- Access: US, UK, CAN, AUS, NZL armed services users
- Controlled by: DIA(?)
- Purpose: Information sharing together with supporting command together with command systems
- Applications: Secure e-mail, chat together with VoSIP communications

STONEGHOST (Quad-Link or Q-Lat)
- Classification level: TOP SECRET//SCI
- Access: US, UK, CAN, AUS, NZL(?) armed services intelligence users
- Controlled by: DIA
- Purpose: Sharing of armed services intelligence information
- Applications: Intelink-C, etc.

CFBLNet (Combined Federated Battle Laboratories Network)
- Classification level: Unclassified together with SECRET
- Access: US, UK, CAN, AUS, NZL, together with at to the lowest degree ix European countries Research & Development institutions
- Controlled by: MultiNational Information Sharing (MNIS) Program Management Office
- Purpose: Supporting research, evolution together with testing on command, control, communication, computer, intelligence, surveillance together with reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems.
- Applications: Communications, analytic tools, together with other applications

The CFBLNet countries inwards 2009, with 3 of the Five Eyes countries (yellow line),
vi European NATO countries together with the NATO organisation (black line),
vi NATO invitee nations (dotted line) together with ii non-NATO countries.
(source: NATO Education together with Training Network (pdf), 2012)

For communications with the members of multinational coalitions, the US provides reckoner networks called Combined Enterprise Regional Information eXchange System (CENTRIXS). These are secure broad expanse network (WAN) architectures which are established according to the specific demands of a detail coalition practice or operation.

CENTRIXS enables the secure sharing of intelligence together with operational information at the degree of "SECRET REL TO [country/coalition designator]" together with also provides selected centralized services, similar Active Directory/DNS Roots, VoIP telephony, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) together with Anti-Virus Definitions.

There are to a greater extent than than xl CENTRIXS networks together with communities of involvement (COIs) inwards which the 28 NATO members together with some fourscore other countries participate. The best-known CENTRIXS networks are:

CENTRIXS Four Eyes (CFE or X-Net)
- Classification level: TOP SECRET//ACGU
- Address format: http://subdomains.domain.xnet.mnf
- Access: US, UK, CAN, AUS armed services users
- Controlled by: DIA
- Purpose: Operational coordination through sharing together with commutation of intelligence products
- Applications: Various services

CENTRIXS-ISAF (CX-I)
- Classification level: TOP SECRET//ISAF
- Access: ca. 50 coalition partners
- Controlled by: ?
- Purpose: Sharing critical battlefield information; US ingredient of the Afghan Mission Network (AMN).
- Computer applications: Web services, minute messaging, Common Operational Picture (COP), etc.
- Voice over IP

CENTRIXS-M (Maritime)
- Classification level: TOP SECRET ?
- Purpose: Supporting multinational information commutation with the ships of coalition partners of the US Navy to render access to critical, time-sensitive planning together with back upward information necessary to send out the mission
- Computer applications: E-mail, Chat messaging, Webpages, etc.

Report from the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan Regional Command Southwest (RC(SW))
with a SIPRNet together with a CENTRIXS email address together with webpage
(Full document inwards pdf format - Click to enlarge)

Some other CENTRIXS networks are:

CENTRIXS-GCTF
- Address format: http://subdomains.domain.gctf.cmil.mil
- For the ca. fourscore Troop Contributing Nations of the Global Counter-Terrorism Force (GCTF)

CENTRIXS-CMFC
- For the Combined Maritime Forces, Central Command (CMFC)

CENTRIXS-CMFP
- For the Combined Maritime Forces, Pacific (CMFP)

CENTRIXS-J
- For the US together with Japan

CENTRIXS-K
- For the US together with South-Korea