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Network Technical

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Security

The DTS employs various security tactics and devices to ensure that the Data Center network infrastructure is safe and secure from unauthorized access attempts. The methods that the DTS uses to secure customer information include but are not limited to:

• Routers – This is a device or, in some cases, software, that determines the next network point to which a data packet should be forwarded toward its destination. DTS routers are configured to create or maintain a table of the available routes and their conditions to determine the appropriate route for a given packet.
• Firewalls - A firewall is a set of related rules, located at a network gateway that protects the resources of a private network from users from other networks. Firewalls are installed and configured to prevent unauthorized users from accessing DTS internal data resources, to control what resources DTS external customers can access, and to control what external resources DTS internal users can access. Firewall rules are created to ensure that customers are able to access only their necessary systems and to prevent customers from accessing another agency’s systems.
Packet inspections occur to verify that correctly formed packets do not circumvent the protocol rules. Malformed packets that do not adhere to the protocol specifications are dropped from transmission. These configurations ensure that users of systems residing at DTS data centers are able to access only the appropriate systems.

Note: Requests to modify access on any DTS firewall must contain approvals from the ISO from the Agency that owns the data (regardless of the Agency affiliation of the requestor). Approval from the DTS ISO must also be obtained prior to the request being granted.
• IPS – Intrusion prevention is a preemptive approach to network security used to identify potential threats and respond to them swiftly. The DTS has the ability to take immediate action against an attack on a computer system based on a set of rules established on the strategically placed Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS). For example, an IPS might drop an incoming packet that it determines to be malicious and block all further traffic from that IP Address or port. The DTS Network is monitored by an IPS 24 hours by 7 days to ensure that appropriate blocks are in place in an effort to maintain the highest level of security and data throughput.