Lockheed Martin Corporation

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Lockheed Martin and IBM Deliver Revamped Multi-Level Security Solution To NGA
New System Manages Secure Data Access for Users Worldwide
PRNewswire
HERNDON, Va.

Lockheed Martin and IBM have delivered a new information security system to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), one that carefully manages multiple levels of security to give users worldwide more reliable, secure access to classified data. The new system replaces older, customized and labor-intensive technology with a streamlined, commercially-based architecture that performs better, costs less, and can grow to manage multiple security levels.

"Multi-level security is all about exercising the right amount of control over critical data. Users need to collaborate, share data between agencies, and access information from the field, but the system must ensure that those users are only accessing data they're authorized to have," said Jerry Mamrol, Lockheed Martin's GeoScout Program Director. "This new solution improves NGA's ability to ensure that the right data gets to the right users, and not to anyone else."

The previous system was designed in the 1980s and was built with very specific, custom technology that performed well but required significant time and resources to operate and maintain. In an effort to reduce costs and simplify the overall system baseline, Lockheed Martin worked with IBM to adapt their COTS mainframe and operating system so that it would meet the NGA's stringent requirements for multi-level security. Lockheed Martin collected user requirements from across the federal government to ensure that the system would "plug and play" with NGA's mission partners. IBM then adapted those requirements into their upgraded System Z baseline, which was put through a rigorous test and evaluation process before earning the government's Protection Level 3 Certification.

The new, improved system offers many benefits over the previous system. Because it is built on a standard commercial baseline and not custom technology, it costs significantly less to operate and maintain. In addition, it is designed to evolve gracefully to accommodate new levels of classification, making it adaptable to a wide range of classified mission needs.

"This is a great example of how the robust security capabilities at the core of our commercial technology can be applied to the security challenges facing the Intelligence Community. This commercial technology enhancement saves time and money, improves performance, and enables the NGA and Lockheed Martin to use more of their resources in mission-level innovation," said David McQueeney, IBM's Federal CTO. "Multi-level security is a critical part of meeting the government's challenge to share information responsibly, and we're pleased to be working with Lockheed Martin to deliver a certified multi-level system for the NGA."

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

For additional information, visit our website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin

CONTACT: Matt Kramer, +1-703-466-2794, matthew.s.kramer@lmco.com