NETSCOUT SYSTEMS has extended its Smart Perimeter Protection to Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company recently reported. The combination of NETSCOUT’s Cyber Investigator (NCI) and CyberStream software with AWS packet access services will enable efficiencies in mitigating novel security threats as enterprises move applications to the cloud. The solution will seamlessly integrate with AWS.

“NETSCOUT is committed to providing the most cost-effective and consistent visibility and control regardless of where an application runs,” said Paul Barrett, CTO, Enterprise, NETSCOUT.

AWS’ solution will leverage packet data and cyber analytics to find the root cause of cybersecurity threats. NETSCOUT has collaborated with AWS on packet access solutions by introducing innovative ways to access packet traffic for cybersecurity and end-user experience use cases.

The company recently announced Gateway Load Balancer (GWLB), which provides scalable access to packet traffic for security and performance management. GWLB enables customers to direct traffic from any Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to CyberStream and Cyber Investigator without leaving the cloud.

“NCI and CyberStream extend security forensics capabilities into the cloud, unlike any other solution. Armed with NETSCOUT’s smart data, security, and IT operations teams benefit from a shared perspective and a cost-effective solution that scales to the needs of the cloud,” Barrett added.

About NETSCOUT

NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: NTCT) helps assure digital business services against disruptions in availability, performance, and security. Our market and technology leadership stems from combining our patented smart data technology with smart analytics. We provide real-time, pervasive visibility and insights customers need to accelerate and secure their digital transformation.

Our approach transforms the way organizations plan, deliver, integrate, test, and deploy services and applications. Our nGenius™ service assurance solutions provide real-time, contextual analysis of service, network, and application performance. Arbor Smart DDoS Protection by NETSCOUT products help protect against attacks that threaten availability and advanced threats that infiltrate networks to steal critical business assets.

Joseph Evans, principal director for 5G within the office of the undersecretary for research and engineering at the Department of Defense, said DOD has made advances in setting up the five “Tranche 1” sites for 5G testing and experimentation efforts and expects those testbeds to be operational by the fall of 2021, DoD reported Tuesday.

In October 2020, the Pentagon awarded $600 million to 15 companies to support 5G experimentation at five U.S. military bases or Tranche 1 sites: Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington; Naval Base San Diego in California; Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany in Georgia; Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada; and Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

DoD announced seven Tranche 2 sites for 5G testing in June and Evans said the department is preparing to issue request for proposals for those military installations.

He said a request for white papers was issued for three Tranche 2 installations: Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California and Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.

"The solicitation for white papers closed on December 15," Evans said. "We're in the process of evaluating those. The next step — hopefully late January or early February — will be a request for proposals for those three bases." 

He said the Pentagon is collaborating with the National Spectrum Consortium to issue solicitations for four other military bases under Tranche 2.

"We hope those will be out in a similar time frame, early in the new calendar year," Evans said. "Those solicitations will be for experiments at Joint Base San Antonio, for experiments at the National Training Center and Fort Hood, as well as an experiment at Tinker Air Force Base.

Join Potomac Officers Club for its 5G Summit on Jan. 7th, 2021 featuring Maj. Gen. Kimberly Crider and Dr. Joseph Evans as keynote speakers to learn about the impact that innovative technologies and 5G integration have on the private and public sectors, the steps the federal agencies have taken to remain up to speed with the rapid advancement of technology, and the future programs, plans and priorities as the nation aligns with emerging technology.

Don’t miss out on this must see event! Register here for Potomac Officers Club's 5G Summit on Jan. 7th, 2021. 

The House has passed by voice vote a bipartisan bill that seeks to codify the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program and establish an advisory panel that would coordinate procurement and cybersecurity efforts under the governmentwide cloud computing initiative.

The FedRAMP Authorization Act of 2021 would allocate a $20 million budget for General Services Administration (GSA) efforts to increase the availability of secure cloud offerings and require GSA to automate its process of assessing and monitoring technology offerings, the office of Gerald Connolly, D-Va., said Tuesday.

“For nearly four years, I have worked with the Office of Management and Budget, GSA, industry stakeholders, and my friends on the other side of the aisle to ensure that the bill makes needed improvements to the FedRAMP program, and also gives the program flexibility to grow and adopt to myriad future changes in cloud technologies," said Connolly, who serves as the bill's principal sponsor.

James Comer, R-Ky., and Jody Hice, R-Ga., co-sponsored the legislation.

The bipartisan bill allows the formation of a Federal Secure Cloud Advisory Committee to facilitate government-industry dialogue, the establishment of a “presumption of adequacy” for authorized cloud platforms and the reuse of technologies with authority to operate certifications.

Connolly's office noted that 211 products are FedRAMP-compliant and small businesses account for 30 percent of the 240 industry participants in the program. GSA found that the number of agencies reusing certified platforms under the program rose 50 percent during fiscal 2020.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has issued a notice announcing its move to update the current system of records called the Defense Repository for Common Enterprise Data to support and cover more information systems being created within DoD.

“The expanded system of records will support multiple information systems that provide DoD-wide and component-level enterprise solutions for integrating and analyzing targeted data from existing DoD systems to develop timely, actionable, and insightful conclusions in support of national strategies,” the notice reads.

The Pentagon is also modifying the authority for maintenance of the system, system location, purpose of the system, record source strategies, notification procedures, individuals covered by the system and system managers.

The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense Comptroller was the sole information system manager. With the update, system managers now include chief data officers from DoD and departments of the U.S. Air Force, Navy and the Army.

The Pentagon is scheduled to publish Wednesday in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking to exempt the updated system of records from some provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974.

The FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) issued a joint statement on Tuesday through the newly created cyber unified coordination group (UCG) to provide updates on an advanced persistent threat actor allegedly linked to Russia. 

“The UCG believes that, of the approximately 18,000 affected public and private sector customers of Solar Winds’ Orion product, a much smaller number have been compromised by follow-on activity on their systems. We have so far identified fewer than ten U.S. government agencies that fall into this category, and are working to identify and notify the nongovernment entities who also may be impacted,” the joint statement reads.

FBI is conducting an investigation based on four lines of effort: victim identification, evidence collection, analysis of evidence and sharing of results with partners in the government and private sector.

CISA’s efforts include information sharing activities, development of a free tool to detect malicious activity related to the cyber incident and issuance of a technical alert. ODNI is working to provide UCG with updated intelligence data to facilitate cyber response and mitigation activities within the U.S. government.

The NSA has been supporting UCG by offering technical mitigation measures, evaluating the scope and scale of the cyber incident and providing actionable guidance, cybersecurity and intelligence support to UCG partners and stakeholders within the defense and national security community.

The FBI, CISA and ODNI announced the formation of UCG in mid-December to facilitate a “whole-of-government response” to the cyber attack involving SolarWinds’ Orion Network Management products.