OmniSwitches have been securing U.S. federal networks for over 20 years

Security is a top priority in federal networks. The OmniSwitch is the ideal switch for zero-trust network security required by governments.

In today's high-tech world, the security of zero-trust networks has become one of the federal government's biggest concerns, especially in light of recent incursions into US infrastructure by both government and private hacker groups. In fact, cybersecurity has become so important that an advanced zero-trust network security architecture based on micro-segmentation has become the gold standard for LANs. Whether it is stealing subscriber, employee, customer, or taxpayer data or disrupting corporate networks for ransom, we have begun to realize that network security is a critical element of any organization's IT infrastructure. Along with this acceptance came the realization that networks that were once considered secure are probably no longer. 
 
For US government and agencies, the use of the safest equipment has become a critical requirement functioning. In order for agencies to continue to operate and maintain their mission, the issue of cyber attack protection must be addressed at the hardware level. 

Fortunately, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise is tracking all market trends and bringing the federal government the OmniSwitch family of switches that provide the capabilities they need to secure the federal and critical infrastructure networks they need to meet today's challenges. The OmniSwitch family addresses the mission-critical needs of civil and military networks for aircraft navigation, nuclear power plants, and high-quality real-time video surveillance of critical federal infrastructure. Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitches have been in use on federal networks for over 20 years and no security breaches have been reported. Combined with the extreme durability of the OmniSwitch (proven by multiple tests on the MIL-S-901D testing system used by the US Department of Defense), the unique characteristics of the OmniSwitch family are JITC certified by the US Department of Defense and are widely used in the US Navy.

OmniSwitch is designed with a number of built-in network security capabilities. One of the most important is Alcatel-Lucent's Secure Code technology. Secure Code goes beyond the required standards to provide the most tamper-resistant operating system switch available today. Critical steps include:

• Independent third-party validation: Source code analysis, white-box and black-box testing by a cybersecurity company to remediate vulnerabilities, including: 
• Latent threats 
• Embedded malware 
• Exploited vulnerabilities 
• Disclosure of private and / or secret information 
• IV&V lk refers to external interfaces:

1. Interface HTTPS;
2. Interface входа;
3. Interface NTP;
4. Command line interface;
5. IP Port Usage; 
6. SNMP Interface 
7. Packet Inspection Interface

• Diversification of software: ALE software implements Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR). Each time the switch boots, a unique memory structure is dynamically created.
• Safe producet delivery: The US ALE supply chain process allows OmniSwitch models to be designated TAA Country of Origin (CoO) USA with all operating software loaded in the US. In addition, the IVV testing company retains the AOS code after validation testing and can provide the software directly to specific federal customers through a secure connection.

These steps unique to ALE — software independent validation, software diversification, and secure software delivery — provide a new level of security and confidence in network switch standards.

Simplicity is a safety feature

Alcatel-Lucent believes that the easier it is to operate and manage the network, the more automation tools are built into it, and the fewer steps or systems needed to support the network, the more secure the network will be. This is true because simplicity reduces the likelihood of errors that can make the infrastructure vulnerable. ALE OmniSwitch takes simplicity to the next level with:

• Security by default: Administrators must enable remote access on the OmniSwitch, which is the opposite of many other switch manufacturers where all calls to switches / routers are enabled by default and administrators need to figure out how to secure the device themselves.
• No software packages to buy or track: every feature and feature, even the secure ALE code, is included in the switch's price - no modules to add, no upgrades to buy. All software included.
• The switches are JITC, NDcPP, FIPS certified: Access switches, cores, industrial switches all use Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Secure Code technology.
• Built-in protection of the OS and CPU against a variety of DDOS attacks, which are usually used to create artificial load and stop the operation of the entire infrastructure
• All OmniSwitches on the network can be configured to block unapproved devices from being added to the network. Internet of Things (IoT) ALE security, device identification, and IFab technology automatically identify devices requesting access to the network and, based on the permissions set, can either allow access, block access, or allow limited access to only part of the network. The technology for securely working with the Internet of Things puts known devices in their own secure container, and unknown devices in a restricted container on the network. This provides a secure way to provision all new IoT devices without administrator intervention and ensures that the network is protected from unknown devices.
• In a zero-trust micro-segmentation security architecture, these already established capabilities allow an administrator to authenticate, classify, and control users and devices based on their specific roles defined in the universal network profile, not just their functional group, providing access only to certain elements on the network for fulfilling their roles.
• Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): Network administrators can see and manage users, traffic, and applications on the network. Detailed information about who or what is using network bandwidth gives the administrator more control and can help quickly identify and block potential problem areas.
• Alcatel-Lucent's unified management system OmniVista® Network Management manages the entire network, including data centers, peripherals, wireless and third-party switches. All ALE switches can be upgraded to the latest code at the same time, reducing management complexity. As more systems lead to more errors and more administration time. The OmniVista Unified Policy Authentication Management Module is a unified access control platform that includes a customizable authorization portal and RADIUS server and can implement several authentication methods that are critical in a zero-trust network architecture.
• Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) is a network protocol designed to support the construction and operation of a less complex network. SPB dynamically creates and maintains a network typology between nodes, in contrast to some network protocols that require a protocol stack to "connect each switch". SPB shares and uses all available physical connections at boot time, providing more bandwidth. SPB allows you to add, remove and move virtual machines using software configuration and supports automatic configurations to prevent human error.
• The combination of OmniSwitch's multicast capability with SPB and data rate provides a high-end platform for supporting video applications, including real-time video surveillance and remote operation control using real-time video.

Alctalel-Lucent OmniSwitches - most secure switches.

Many real-time networks operating in extreme conditions have chosen OmniSwitch, the only ruggedized switch that supports SPB. Modern federal networks have many facilities that require stable operation in extreme conditions. The OmniSwitch is a full-featured switch with enhanced network security standards that has all the capabilities of other switches on the network. 
 
Simplify Operations for Department of Defense and Civil Agencies means one operating system, one management system, Secure Code technology and durability. These elements are critical to the operation of the US Navy, where OmniSwitches have been in use for over 20 years, providing the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) and arguably the most secure switches on the market.

Certificates

Certificat JITC

Defense Solutions BrochureБрошюра по оборонным решениям

If you are interested in learning more about the Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch family of products, please contact our office for advice.

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