IA safeguards network Published March 5, 2010 By Brandice J. Armstrong Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The 72nd Communications Directorate's quest to ensure Tinker's networks are properly cataloged persists. The second step in a four-part process is ensuring Department of Defense computer systems are certified and accredited. Certification and accreditation is the process to obtain permission or authority to operate an information system on the DOD network. It is a six to 18-month process that evaluates security features and proves information systems meet DOD security requirements. "This process is important because it's all about securing government information and information systems," said Diane Earnest, 72nd Communications Directorate Information Technology specialist. "If you're not compliant with all of the security requirements, you put the whole Air Force network at risk of being hacked or viewed by people who shouldn't be viewing the information." To certify and accredit a network system, program managers must answer roughly 100 security-control related questions within the Enterprise Information Technology Data Repository database, which they used to register the system in step one. Security-control topics include physical security, continuity of operations, incident response, user accounts, and procedural review. In answering each question, program managers must support their claims using proof such as documentation or security logs. "The DOD wants to know for sure that you have these things in place so if something were to happen, you have a plan to keep providing the government what it needs," Ms. Earnest said. Should program managers need help, they are encouraged to call Ms. Earnest or Susan McClintick, 72nd Communications Directorate Information Technology specialist. "The process seems to be ever-evolving," Ms. Earnest said, "and we try to simplify the process a little bit." Ms. McClintick agreed. "They are still responsible for creating the documentation that goes in, but we try to guide them into what needs to be in the documentation." For more information, call Ms. Earnest at 739-9490 or Ms. McClintick at 734-3381. This is the second story in a four-part series.