Shhhhh: Vendors Team to Share Gov't Secrets with SISA

Published: July 12, 2007

by Alex Woodie

Microsoft, EMC, and Cisco have formed an alliance called Secure Information Sharing Architecture (SISA) whose goal is to develop a comprehensive architecture that allows government agencies and contractors to safely share secret or sensitive information, the vendors announced this week.

Since September 11, 2001, the federal government and its technology providers have struggled to find a way to allow various agencies to open up and share their data while simultaneously maintaining strict security controls. High-profile attempts to develop compatible systems have failed, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. But the participants continue to look for a way, and are determined that breaking down the separate silos of data is one of the keys to success in the global war on terror.

With the SISA Alliance, the technology vendors are proposing a standards-based approach that uses commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and virtualization to quickly create networks that allow people with the right permissions to access data stored across multiple data "protection" systems. Cisco is providing the virtualized network links and data protection features. EMC is providing the RAID arrays and information management and security software. And Microsoft is providing the operating systems, identity management tools, and a collaboration framework that brings it all together.

Other companies will also be involved in SISA, providing core architecture components. The others include Liquid Machines, a developer of enterprise rights management software based in Waltham, Massachusetts; Swan Island Networks, a developer of sensitive information-sharing systems based in Portland, Oregon; and Titus Labs, a developer of content management and protection systems based in Ottawa, Canada. More partners will be brought into the SISA alliance as customers' needs evolve.

Steve Cooper, the former CIO for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, says breaking down barriers between government and partner organizations will require better confidence in the ability to keep information in the hands of only the appropriate users. "I applaud Cisco, EMC, and Microsoft for coming together to provide us with a multivendor architecture for sharing information across different agencies so government agencies can collaborate better and respond more effectively where and when they are needed," he says.

For more information on SISA, visit www.sisaalliance.org.

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