SBIR-STTR Award

CLAD is a web service to ensure that all data entering a network is properly labeled, and that the aggregate data available to users is within their clearance. CLAD verifies all incoming data as properly labeled, adds the metadata of each document to the metadata of the collection, conducts a shallow analysis to determine if a reclassification of documents as a collection is needed, compares document visibility requirements and users credentials to determine authorization, and routes the collection to a local auto-classification system if reclassification is needed. CLAD then passes it on to the user, based on the users clearance and need-to-know. CLAD can be configured to accept information on credentials from a wide range of sources. Additionally, CLAD is agnostic to the format of security markings on the data it processes. CLAD processes the labels whether they come in the form of inline paragraph markings, XML metadata, or a number of other formats. CLAD stands to provide the Air Force and a wide range of military and commercial customers with a tremendous advantage in security. Most importantly, CLAD allows users to search for and browse the information they need to accomplish their missions without compromising individual and national security.

Benefit:
CLAD will be deployed as a web service to minimize the effort required to install the system in an operational environment. CLADs existence on the network will ensure that all data passing through it is clad with appropriate labels (individually and collectively) or routed to another service to gather appropriate labeling, in an assured manner, so that the most accurate classification is maintained.  CLAD will give users the ability to search for and browse the information they need to accomplish their missions without compromising individual and national security, as there is an assurance that the aggregate data classification is within their security clearance Because CLAD is so adaptable, it stands to provide the Air Force and potentially a wide range of military and commercial customers with a tremendous advantage in security. CLAD will protect classified information that enters the network from any source (searches, e-mail, browsing, etc.), and it will do so while leveraging the classification guidelines, marking styles, C&A, access control systems, and classification authorities already in place. The most important benefit provided by CLAD, however, is the ability of users to search for and browse the information they need to accomplish their missions without compromising individual and national security.

Keywords:
Federated Search, Aggregation, Security Classification, Information Assurance, Access Control, Browse-Up, Need-To-Share, Metadata

21st Century Technologies (21CT) proposes the Classification Labeling of Aggregated Data (CLAD) Phase 2 effort. CLAD addresses three key challenges in maintaining secure access of documents: 1) ensuring that all documents are properly labeled according to the most current guidelines, 2) providing a security classification level for a collection of documents, for which the aggregation of information could result in a higher classification level than any of the individual documents, and 3) preventing unauthorized visibility of a collection of documents when the collection’s aggregated classification exceeds the user’s credentials or system’s certification and accreditation. CLAD provides a secure web service to ensure that all data passing through it is clad with appropriate labels or routed to another service to gather appropriate labeling so that the most accurate classification is maintained. CLAD balances the need to quickly and securely disseminate information to those with need-to-know based on credentials, and without leaking sensitive data. This ultimately supports the goal of allowing the analysts to discover and retrieve as much information as needed to perform their jobs efficiently and effectively, without compromising individual and national security.

Benefit:
CLAD provides two substantial improvements to the current methodology for marking and classifying documents – an automated label completion verifier and an automated aggregation classifier. Having these two components as an automated tool enables a more uniform implementation of markings and classifications, a more efficient determination of errors, and a decrease in costs. CLAD provides assurance that all data passing to the user is clad with appropriate labels, and provides automated detection of situations when the combination of information in documents causes the aggregation’s security classification to increase beyond that of any individual document in the collection. The CLAD functionality is carried out via a secure web service capable of scaling into an enterprise environment, and allows analysts access to as much information as possible without violation of security requirements on classified data, so they may perform their missions efficiently and effectively.

Keywords:
Federated Search, Aggregation, Security Classification, Information Assurance, Access Control, Metadata, Document Labeling, Cross-Domain