<title>Defense and security of a wireless tactical network</title>

Abstract

Recall the adage `a chain is as strong as its weakest link'- -a phrase that could serve as the official mantra of computer security. Operating Systems are difficult system to administer because it is not only complex and cantankerous but also hard to secure. They are enormous configurability, the fact that vendors don't ship secure systems, and that it requires significant amounts of time, resources, and expertise to safeguard a host are only some of the reasons that so many systems are insecure any type of network commercial or tactical. To compound the problem, like all modern operating systems it not only becomes less secure as time goes on (simply due to usage), but with the rapidly changing security field, it also requires considerably effort to stay abreast of the latest information. Army Research Labs is trying to address the security of the operating system in a tactical wireless environment. Through the use of public domain and/or commercial mans. ARL is evaluating monitoring, deployment, and auditing techniques to the wire commercial domain. By evaluating the wire domain ARL will determine what works and how they work in the tactical area. There are numerous ways to protect the wire/wireless network via public domain or commercial software.