Electronic Security Implications of NEC: A Tactical Battlefield Scenario

In [1] three principal themes are identified by the UK MoD (Ministry of Defence) in order to deliver the vision of NEC (Network Enabled Capability): Networks, People and Information. It is the security of information, which is discussed in this article. The drive towards NEC is due to many factors; one defining factor is to provide an increase in operational tempo in effect placing one ahead of their enemy in terms of acting within their OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) loop. However as technical and procedural systems are being advanced to achieve the vision of NEC, what impact does this have on the traditional information security triangle, of preserving the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information? And how does this influence current security engineering and accreditation practices, particularly in light of the proliferation problem? This article describes research conducted into answering these questions, building upon the findings of the NITEworks® [2] ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) Theme studies and focusing on a tactical battlefield scenario. This scenario relates to the IFPA (Indirect Fire Precision Attack) [3] project where the efficient synchronisation of potentially numerous sources of information is required, providing real-time decisions and delivery of effects, in accordance with the requirements of NEC. It is envisaged that the IFPA systems will consist of numerous sub-systems each of which will provide a unique effecting capability to the UK army with differing levels of speed, accuracy and range