Navy Information Dominance Forces’ (NAVIDFOR) Joint Information Environment (JIE) Coordination Office recently completed the task of assessing and tracking the impacts of Joint Regional Security Stack (JRSS) installations at designated and proposed Navy sites to ensure manning, training, and equipping (MT&E) requirements are being met.
“NAVIDFOR’s JIE Coordination Office works with designated and proposed JRSS installation sites to develop impact assessments for the placement of JRSS equipment in Navy facilities,” said Shawn Garrow, NAVIDFOR’s department head for Information Environment Modernization and Integration. “This is our means of communicating impact to resource sponsors, influencing required Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution efforts, and informing the broader joint community.”
JIE is a framework envisioned by the Department of Defense (DoD) to realign and modernize how DOD information technology (IT) networks and systems are constructed, operated and defended to provide a more flexible and secure data-centric environment enabling access to information at the point of need.
JIE is moving towards a single security architecture with JRSS as a major component to provide a common approach for defending information networks across all military organizations. The JRSS target state intends to replace existing Combatant Command/Service/Agency (CC/S/A)-unique network boundary protection to provide increased visibility and enhanced cybersecurity at a reduced cost.
“The intent of JRSS is to improve the performance and cost of security by integrating cyber security and management solutions into a secure and protected enterprise infrastructure,” said Garrow.
In response to the DoD Chief Information Officer’s (CIO) guidance, all the military services are developing implementation plans and resourcing strategies for sites to adopt JRSS capabilities. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) was also tasked with surveying each site to ensure site readiness for JRSS installation. Once completed, DISA site survey findings are coordinated with CC/S/A stakeholders and submitted to the JIE Management Construct for approval. The task of coordinating JRSS site installations does not come without challenges.
According to Garrow, a challenge has been maintaining strategic awareness for the installation sites.
“NAVIDFOR has been working over the past several months to enhance strategic awareness across stakeholders of JIE and JRSS efforts as they impact Navy sites. Specifically, these efforts included communication of DISA site surveys, JRSS equipment delivery and installation as well as tracking the status of site power/space/cooling [capacity] in support of JRSS requirements at Navy sites. As a TYCOM, we are responsible for ensuring MT&E requirements are met while working closely with FLTCYBERCOM to minimize operational impacts.”
NAVIDFOR supports designated and potential JRSS installation sites by providing the following support:
• Developing strategic communications between NAVIDFOR and sites considered for JRSS;
• Capturing DISA’s baseline of JRSS components, site requirements, installation timeline, and operations and maintenance expectations;
• Capturing and documenting Navy hoteling, finite power, space and cooling (P/S/C) capacity, and workforce impacts focusing on Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station (NCTAMS) Pacific, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Stations (NCTS) Guam, Naples, San Diego, and Bahrain;
• Capturing site requirements to inform a potential migration of Navy’s IT portfolio behind JRSS.
In the time since NAVIDFOR involvement commenced, it became apparent that a deeper level of support during the actual JRSS migration would be required at each site. Discussions currently involve the continued support of the JIE Coordination Office and the establishment of a Navy Service Migration Team (SMT). The SMT’s primary responsibility is to coordinate and direct actions to successfully migrate base/post/camp/station network traffic behind JRSS.
“NAVIDFOR is here to support the Navy sites before, during, and after JRSS installation,” said Garrow. “The goal is to bring Navy expertise, command authorities, and reach-back capabilities to ensure a smooth transition to JRSS steady state operations.”
For more information on JRSS or JIE, please visit the JIE Coordination Office Portal.
Navy Information Dominance Forces provides commanders ashore and afloat, forward deployable, combat-ready information dominance forces capable of conducting prompt and sustained naval, joint and combined operations in support of U.S. national interests.
For more information about Navy Information Dominance Forces, visit the command's website at www.navidfor.navy.mil, our Navy News Web page at www.navy.mil/local/navidfor
or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USNavyInformationDominanceForces.