A Strategic Approach to Network Defense: Framing the Cloud

Abstract

With cheap technology and minimal investment, current and potential adversaries operating in cyberspace can inflict serious damage to DOD's vast information grid system that encompasses more than 15,000 local, regional, and wide-area networks, and approximately 7 million information technology devices. (1) --Robert Gates, former US Secretary of Defense The US Government has robust data networks that provide rapid transport of imagery, textual information, command and control data, and routine communications to support military operations and core business needs. This information is vital in the conduct of its war and peacetime missions. Historically, America's adversaries attempt to leverage network vulnerabilities to gain strategic advantage by exploiting information about US military and commercial activities, trade secrets, financial information, system architectures, and other data. The US is arguably the most interconnected nation on earth and it plays hegemonic role with regard to establishing and maintaining the rules that govern the Internet. Americans embrace digital technologies that promise greater interconnection for governmental, corporate, and personal utility. This article examines current Internet attack trends in the computer networking environment and proposes an enhanced framework for strategic system defense applicable to both corporate and federal networks. Presently, the balance of power favors those adversaries trying to attack US information systems, networks, and critical infrastructure. Well-designed cloud computing environments, however, may change the balance in favor of the defense, while reducing costs and improving service. The enhanced framework addresses these issues and assists in reducing the risks associated with assessing and adopting cloud computing. Computing clouds are large data centers, filled with generic processing and storage facilities, and operated as multiple reconfigurable virtual servers. (2) Traditionally, cloud computing was represented by the outsourcing of an organization's computing infrastructure. Today, cloud computing presents a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. (3) Why Cloud Computing? Emerging cloud computing technologies will subsume existing enterprise networks and encompass system defenses that are designed, implemented, and managed at corporate information technology (IT) processing centers. Once applications are logically extended through virtualization in cloud computing environment, they are no longer tied to physical location. The cloud service provider develops dispersed support and hosting facilities that allow applications to perform as needed. The system user merely needs to access the typically web-based application to run the desired program. The trend for networking infrastructures and computing centers is shifting toward consolidation for cost savings. Cloud computing provides for the outsourcing &entire data centers, the saving of physical space, infrastructure, and labor costs. The prime benefit is the reduced cost of updating information systems and infrastructures, which is transferred to the cloud provider. (4) Cloud computing is major evolutionary leap that virtualizes servers, infrastructures, and software as pay-for-use services. Government leaders have identified the benefits gained by adopting cloud computing, but they have not adequately considered the inherent risk with outsourcing IT. Envisioning the future, the US Chief Information Officer (CIO) announced the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative and issued instructions for the Federal CIO Council to have governmental departments inventory their IT assets and integrate consolidation plans into their 2012 planning budgets. …