NIGHT WATCH KEEPS SAC'S MACS SECURE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89B01354R000200210021-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 30, 2013
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: March 8, 1988
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Decla'ssified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 13/07/30: CIA-14DP891361354R000200210021-4
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Strategic deployment:
Macs put to work
' at SAC headquarters
BY GARDNER TERRELL
? OMAHA, Neb. ? The
:4tt U.S. Air Force Strategic
Air Command likes what
. , it sees so far of the Mac
network it recently
installed to deal with the
functions handled by SAC headquarters.
The system is comprised of 53 SEs and
seven Mac Bs, three of which are being used as
file servers. Each Mac has 2.5 Mbytes of inter-
nal memory, and each is linked to the others
over ordinary telephone lints through a net-
working system from Farallon Computing of
Berkeley, Calif.
Installation of the extensive network went
fairly smoothly, according to Col. Joe
LaBenne, SAC's deputy director of advanced
systems. "Everything worked as soon as they
put it in. We are moving gradually to imple-
ment the components one ala time," he said.
SAC compared several systems before
selecting the Mac. Government regulations
require that the Air Force buy the least expen-
sive product that is of acceptable quality. The
IBM-compatible Zenith 248 had previously
been approved as the Air Force's computer of
choice. But SAC envisioned a system that could
handle graphics as easily as data, and that could
be satisfied only by the Mac. These special
graphics requirements meant SAC had to obtain
a standard waive: from Gen. Robert H. Ludwig,
bead of the SAC Communications Command.
"To get the Macintosh, we had to resort to
brand-name justification," lame said.
"We didn't buy from Apple porate," be
said. "We preferred dealing with local small
businesses. We announced the names of the
hardware and software that we wanted, so a lot
of small vendors could bid. If they could deliver
in 15 days, they got a piece of the action."
SAC headquarters is phasing in each ele-
ment of the system. When complete, it will
include capabilities for graphics, word process-
ing, slide presentations, project management,
spreadsheets, desktop publishing, CAD/CAM
and interoffice mail, all linked through an inter-
face board that allows access to both MS-DOS
and Mac files.
"Our structure goes beyond what you would
expect in the usual office," said LaBenne. "We
have representatives from many different func-
LASLO
lions working in divisions that have nothing to
do with their function. They provide the liaison
between different parts of the organization. For
example, we have pilots working here in head-
quarters alongside people from logistics and
planning. so everybody will be using many dit?
ferent types of software."
SAC has experimented with ACIUS' 4th
Dimension as a way to monitor which pro-
grama are being used by which employees. For
it to work, 4D runs in the background as it
keeps track of each user's global password.
This has proven cumbersome, however, and
SAC now requires individual passwords for
each application. As an extra security measure.
SAC also uses Night Watch software from
Houston-based Kent Marsh Ltd. to prevent
unauthorized computer access. This system
requires both a password and a key disk and
will not function if either is missing.
Training time on the new system and soft-
ware was a major purchasing consideration.
"We had budget constraints, and outside trainer.
would have been expensive. So ease of learning
became an important factor," LaBenne said.
NightWatch keeps
SAC's Macs secure
OMAHA, Neb. ? The Strategic Air Command
based in Omaha, Neb.. is the part of the U.S.
Air Force that remains constantly vigilant
against the threat of nuclear attack. Not surpris-
ingly, security has always been a major concern
That concern became even greater when the
microcomputer ? with its easily carried floppy
disk ? entered SAC headquarters. The possi-
ble scenarios are a security officer's nightmare.
Disks containing sensitive information could
be easily removed; important data or programs
could be altered, then replaced in the computer.
To deal with the problem, SAC turned to
the Secure Disk System from Media Security. a
2-year-old company iii Colorado Springs, Colo
The Secure Disk System has two compo-
nents: a card that Media Security installs in the
floppy disk drive of each computer and a pas-
sive radio frequency tag implanted in the
sleeve of every disk. Doug Scbomerus, sales
support manager of Media Security, described
the system as "user-transparent."
Operation is fairly straightforward Essen-
tially, the modified drive senses the presence of
the modified disk. Anything written to that disk
? and only modified disks can be written on
? becomes scrambled. Most ordinary systems
will not be able to unscramble the information.
"We are trying lobe really aggressive about
security," said Col. Joe LaBenne. "There
is always a potential risk with floppy disks,
inadvertent or any other way, because they
are small items. This is just another level of
security, and there can never be too many."
SAC uses only modified disks from Media
Security. As a further security technique, SAC
has specified that disks must be bright yellow.
At the moment, SAC is rigorously testing
the Secure Disk System. "We are trying every-
thing in the book to defeat the security sys-
tem," LaBenne said. The test will end soon,
unless the system can be defeated:? By
Gardner Terrell
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/30: CIA-RDP89B01354R000200210021-4
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/30: CIA-RDP89B01354R000200210021-4
UICED
LaBenne said training issues were particu-
larly important because few people at SAC had
ever worked with a microcomputer. "Only three
people had used a Mac before and not many
more had ever done anything more (advanced]
than word processing on an IBM PC." he said.
For SAC headquarters, this lack of com-
puter expertise magnified the inconvenience
that goes with the early stages of any new com-
puter installation. "But," said LaBenne, "we
knew that this sort of thing takes time and
expected a substantial learning curve."
Despite that expectation. SAC has kept for-
mal training to a minimum. According to
LaBenne, classes consist of a 10-minute orien-
tation, followed by a half-hour session to
demonstrate user-interface coruistency across
applications. "We are teaming from experience
how we can use the Mac best. To get started
with a particular program, like Excel, for
example, two employees just read the docu-
mentation and started using it. Other people
then came to learn from them. When we begin
using complicated programs for functions like
CAD, a training course may be required,"
LaBenne said.
March 8, 1988
Even without extensive training, personnel
networked on the system are busily working.
The network includes AST boards to provide a
smooth transition between the Mac and the
MS-DOS operating system that was already
in use. The boards arc receiving little use, how-
ever, since employees prefer the Mac.
"So far, we are extremely happy with the
new system. It is already starting to affect the
way we function," said LaBenne. "Even so, we
think it will be six months before we find out
how much increased productivity it is going to
provide for us." it
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/07/30: CIA-RDP89B01354R000200210021-4