NAWCWPNS China Lake CRADA to keep intruders from accessing information from an individual’s desktop and network. -- China Lake’s Steve Bouthillier and Ross Seybold develop tamper proof computer interface switches to keep your systems safe

“Illegal information gathering from government and private industry computer systems is at an all time high,” explained Stephen Bouthillier, assistant special security officer for sensitive compartmented information (SCI) automated data processing and physical security. “Information brokers collect and deal in a wide range of data – from personal and financial information to commercial proprietary trade secrets and government information. The data available in cyberspace has created a virtual worldwide information shopping center. It really is big business.”

With that in mind, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWPNS) China Lake entered into a three-year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) for keeping intruders from accessing information from an individual’s desktop and network. It was recently signed by RAdm. Jack V. Chenevy, NAWCWPNS commander and representatives from Radionics, Inc., Salinas, CA; Market Central, Inc., Houston, PA.; NAWCWPNS SCI community; and the Technology Transfer Office.

“This is truly a unique computer security concept, which will expand the existing Radionics Readykey Access Control System,” said Bouthillier. The original Readykey system currently addresses physical security requirements of authorized persons entering a building or workspace through a physical doorway, with a security manager or administrator monitoring access and privilege parameters.

“We can now offer these same positive control capabilities to computer systems and networks,” said Ross Seybold, an intrusion detection systems lead technician from the China Lake’s Physical Security Office, who works on alarm systems. The Readykey system will also supervise the access to a multitude of differing automated information system platforms (i.e. Macintosh, DOS-based, and UNIX, etc.)

Radionics is providing the technical hardware and software expertise to expand their product’s access control functions by interfacing three different computer platform switches that control electric power and network connections to an authorized user. Market Central, Inc., and NAWCWPNS are co-designing and developing the three computer platform switches for which government patents have been applied. NAWCWPNS personnel will also work with the two companies to make sure that the system and computer interface switches are operative, correct, and tamper proof.

The CRADA will expand the original idea of controlled “office” access to address computer security requirements to controlled access to automated information system platforms and network connections.

“NAWCWPNS has extensive expertise and information in computer security,” said Bouthillier. “This low-cost, low-impact security system is going to make life easier for the user as well as system security administrators. And in keeping with the technology transfer act, we’re going to make this expertise and technology available for use in the public sector.”

For more information about this or other technologies, please contact Bill Webster, ORTA, at (760) 939-1074 or bill_webster@imdgw.chinalake.navy.mil

Excerpted from The Rocketeer, a NAWCWPNS publication.