Information Systems Strategic Plan: Electronic Proving GroundAn information system is formally designed and interlinked data structure elements that gather or retrieve, analyses, preserve and distribute information in the organization or institution to enhance decision making and problem resolution. All things being equal, information systems provide a significant element in the testing facilities and organization operating in vast geographical regions. Therefore, testing facilities need to adapt and embrace swift and authentic information systems to enable the fast transfer of data from one person to another. This is no different for the US Army Electronic Proving Ground (EPG). The testing facilities located in southern Arizona, surveil, and record data from advanced communication systems which need to be processed and provided to leadership to make decisions on equipment for the modern warfighter. According to EPGs website, their missions is to “Plan, conduct, analyze, and report the results of developmental testing in direct support of Army Futures Command (AFC) through rigorous testing, while continuing to support Program Executive Offices and industry partners ensuring Soldiers receive systems that enable mission accomplishment on the battlefield.” Therefore, the process and evaluation of this data is essential to the companies providing equipment and the US Army.HistoryEPG has been part of Fort Huachuca since 1954. The surrounding mountainous area was optimal for testing and evaluating advanced communication electronics. The area of operations includes more than 9,000 square miles on the military reservation. Most private sector testing organizations tend to develop advanced information systems to ensure swift and ready access to the test data and information. Being a military organization this is not always the case. Only approved devices and systems can be used for production and without approval from the authorizing entities oftentimes the Army is behind on the latest technology and processes. EPG is looking to shift from using any type of removable media to central server systems were an organizational employee with designated credentials can access, edit and copy the test data remotely. Undeniably, over the past decades, the organization the testing institution utilized in t, CDs, and even tape to store and transfer test data from a particular testing station or person to another. That is to say, the computing systems of a specific testing station operated independently, with zero network interlinkage of the testing stations and the organization headquarters. The test personnel physically moved data from one computer or person to another.Advancing to the server systems entail rigorous update of the organization’s computer and network systems and ascertaining the functionality of the computers in the organization’s facilities. To enable the testing company to utilize many computers spread throughout various subsidiary testing points in the state. As well as integrated software platforms to transfer and analyze the test information of multiple clients. In other words, my contract is entitled to coordinate and interlink numerous computing systems and the organization’s software platforms. Allowing smooth transfer of information and test data from one person to another in the organizational premises or entitlement.ScopePrimarily, developing a central server system to interlink multiple computers spread across large organizations testing regions and stations entail a significant switch of the organization’s operations.The system entails routers and network switches with a high bandwidth backbone. Ideally, the server is set at the automatic repair and upgrade mode with installed updating software. The system swiftly upgrades the installed programs in the order as well as troubleshot network problems to ensure a fast and reliable connection of the various computing systems in different regions (Hiroki et al.). As a network administrator, the information system advancement in the organization involves the composite design of the network models in every testing station. Enabling remote access to the organization’s file servers to access, edit, copy, and record the test data in the company database.On the other hand, the organization server system security incorporates the identity security question. The system stores its data through the administration of the cloud storage software and the physical network storage in the company server rooms located at the company’s headquarters (Hiroki et al.). Hence data, input at the testing stations are processed into information that is transferred to the organizational servers through the organization’s online software platforms.Information System Requirement AssessmentProcedures and Methods Used During this InvestigationBased on the information system scope definition, the current system will require an upgrade in its architecture, hardware, and software aspects. Therefore, to facilitate the shift to the central server system, it is imperative to perform an assessment of the current system. This is essential in enabling the identification of system structures, fundamental organizational processes, system and information flow, as well as facilitate in the evaluation of possible gaps and vulnerabilities present in the system. Hence, implementing certain procedures and methods will facilitate the requirement investigation process through enabling collection of pertinent information on the current system as well highlight the upgrade requirements.The initial procedure involves mapping out the infrastructure of each facility within the US Army’s geographically distributed testing locations. Performing a network evaluation is key in highlighting the network hardware and software requirements for the upgrade from independent organization operations to network connectivity to the central server systems (Hove, Grahn, Poarch, Orde, Pirc, & Holder, 2017). Here, network hardware and software specifications that will allow cloud-based communication, data storage, remote access, as well as enable data manipulation stand out as the central server system requirements. Additionally, decomposition of the system into its constituent parts will facilitate the evaluation of the way each part works and its requirements.Another crucial procedure involves performing interviews with relevant stakeholders from the US Army Electronic Proving Ground will assist the network administrator define the organizational processes in place as well as outline the system and information flow. This step works collaboration with graphical approaches such as flowcharts and data-flow diagrams to help in network architecture and infrastructure conceptualization and design. These procedures are fundamental in designing the new system, mitigating identified security risks, performing system tests, as well as facilitate optimal system design and implementation.Overview of Current Systems OperationsThe current systems operations in the Army’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) Developmental Tester headquartered at Fort (FT) Huachuca, Arizona highlights independent local area network systems within each facility. The EPG have several test facilities within its headquarters including the Antenna Test Facility, the Electromagnetic Environmental Effects Test Facility, the Communication Systems and Networks, COSPAS-SARSAT, among others (EPG, n.d.). The LAN within each facility in the EPG allows communication of vital testing data to relevant members of the facility. The facility’s LAN connects workstations in each facility and enables data and device access to users. Additionally, users in this network can share the software necessary for specific testing modelling, simulation, and analysis as well as devices such as printers. These facilities have computing capabilities that include data access using designated credentials, data manipulation, and data storage in secondary storage devices. From the local nature of the network, the manipulation and storage of test data is also local.Due to the lack of interconnectivity, vital communication occurs through physical movement of data from one computer or person to another using removable storage media within the EPG. This stands out as a point of vulnerability that threatens data integrity and confidentiality. Therefore, for a single client with numerous different requirements in testing services offered by EPG, the overall test results will require physical movement of information to one station for compilation. This process proves high risk and tedious. Additionally, the current system operations lack the capability to communicate with other testing locations via a secure network channel. The current system operations for EPG highlights several aspects that require upgrades to facilitate secure communication with data manipulation and sharing across its various testing facilities as well as communication over a wide area network with cloud-based capabilities.Analysis of Current Systems• *talk about the use of “stand alone machines” (computers that are not on the domain) These are now not allowed without proper patches and approval. This method of transferring data is not only unsecure but slow and lacks redundancy.• Talk about the use of removable media to the Test network that is managed.• Talk about how a storage server is already in place for testers to use rather than removable media.• Add anything else that sounds good.
ReferencesHove, D., Grahn, A., Poarch, D., Orde, C., Pirc, J., & Holder, B. (2017). 10 Steps to an Effective Vulnerability Assessment. Retrieved from https://edge.siriuscom.com/security/10-steps-to-an-effective-vulnerability-assessment.
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