New Intrusion-Resistant Virtualized Adaptive Network Architecture (NIRVANA)

ABSTRACT: With increased connectivity and integration with other DoD networks the threat of cyber attacks on space operations assets has become significant. Hence, the Air Force has identified a need to protect satellite operations centers (SOCs) from cyber attacks for mission assurance. Architecture Technology Corporation (ATC) proposes to develop an intrusion-resistant network architecture for the communications segment of DoD"s satellite control enterprise networks using a novel defensive concept called NIRVANA (New Intrusion-Resistant Virtualized Adaptive Network Architecture). NIRVANA is designed to protect the distributed satellite control enterprise network operating over the shared DoD Internet from two types of network-borne denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, i.e., host resource depletion attacks and access link flooding attacks. The goal of this effort is to demonstrate and establish the capability of the NIRVANA approach to enable the satellite control enterprise network to evade such DoS attacks and to provide continued assured availability of the system. BENEFIT: The NIRVANA effort will develop software-based networking products needed to defend the DoD"s satellite control network from network-borne DoS attacks. Businesses the world over have recognized how imperative it is to defend their mission-critical networks from DoS attacks. Thus, the DoS defense products developed by the NIRVANA effort will also address the needs of commercial enterprises.