Cybersecurity is one of our Nation’s most serious economic and security challenges that requires all elements of the Federal government to work together. Securing the Department of Defense Information Networks (DODIN) plays a vital role toward achieving these National objectives, providing secure connections to the DISN (DISA’s provided portion of the DODIN), and is an important element of DoD’s Risk Management Framework (RMF). This DISA DISN Connection Process Guide (CPG) (ref am) provides DoD and DoD Components the structured procedures and points of contact necessary to connect to the DISN. Stated simply, our combined connection approval actions significantly influence the cybersecurity of the DODIN. Together we must take this responsibility seriously and perform the necessary due diligence to ensure all the appropriate policies, procedures, and guidelines are followed.

The DISN Connection Process Guide (CPG) derives its authority from DoDI 8500.01 Cybersecurity,14 March 2014, DoDI 8510.01 Risk Management Framework for DoD Information Technology (IT), 12 March 2014, CJCSI 6211.02D Defense Information System Network (DISN): Responsibilities, 24 January 2012, DoDI 8100.04 DoD Unified Capabilities (UC), 9 December 2010, and DoDI 8551.01 Ports, Protocols, and Services Management (PPSM), 28 May 2014.

The CPG is a living document that continues to evolve as connection processes for new and existing networks/services are refined and as additional networks/services become available. This version of the CPG focuses on connections to the DISN as detailed below. Future versions of the CPG will cover DISA’s ever-evolving capabilities such as the Cloud Computing connection process.

Use the DISN CPG often to help get through the connection process. However, before employing this guide, always check for the current version on our website at: http://disa.mil/connect.

DISN networks/services and controlled processes addressed in this guide are included in Table 1. Additional information about DoD enterprise services is at: http://www.disa.mil/.

Current DISN Network Services	Examples
Content Delivery	Global Content Delivery Service (GCDS)
Data Services	Sensitive but Unclassified IP Data Service (aka, NIPRNet), Secret IP Data Service (aka SIRPNet), Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) IP Data Service (aka JWICS), Multicast
Dedicated Transport Services	N/A
Virtual Private Network (VPN) Services	Common Mission Network Transport (CMNT), DISN Test and Evaluation Service, Joint Information Environment (JIE) - Joint Regional Security Stack (JRSS) Community of Interest (COI) VPN service, Label Transport Service, Medical Community of Interest (MEDCOI) VPN, Private Data Internet Service Provider, Private IP Service
Voice Services	Sensitive but Unclassified Voice Service, Voice over secure IP (VOSIP), TS SCI voice service, Multilevel secure voice, Voice Internet Service Provider (ISP) - Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Access.
Satellite Communication Services	Commercial Satellite Services, Distributed Tactical Communications System (DTCS), Enhanced Mobile Satellite Service (EMSS), Inmarsat.
Cross Domain Enterprise Services	Provides boundary applications to enhance security.

 

This guide applies to all DoD Component and Mission Partner enclave owners seeking to connect to the DISN. The "DISN" is defined in various documents and most recently in Joint Publication 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms defines the DISN (ref h) as the "Integrated network, centrally managed and configured to provide long-haul information transfer services for all Department of Defense activities. It is an information transfer utility designed to provide dedicated point-to-point, switched voice and data, imagery, and video teleconferencing services." For the purposes of this document, the DISN CPG is only referring to DISA’s provided portion of DODIN transport. The "DODIN" is defined by Joint Publication 3-12, Joint Cyberspace Operation (ref i) as "the globally interconnected, end-to-end set of information capabilities, and associated processes for collecting, processing, storing, disseminating, and managing information on-demand to warfighters, policy makers, and support personnel, including owned and leased communications and computing systems and services, software (including applications), data, and security." For a discussion of "enclaves," refer to DoDI 8500.01, Cybersecurity (ref a). For definition of "enclave," refer to Committee on National Security Systems Instruction Number 4009, National Information Assurance (IA) Glossary as amended (ref j). For a definition of "Mission Partner," refer to DoDD 8000.01, Management of the Department of Defense Information Enterprise (ref c).