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Defence

National Security-Grade Network Severance and Isolation

Defence networks carry the most sensitive information a nation possesses. The threat landscape includes the most capable adversaries on earth, operating with state-level resources and persistence.

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Control

Defence

Defence information requires defence-grade protection. Logical separation managed by software is not sufficient when the adversary has the resources and patience to find and exploit every configuration error.

100%

Classification boundary enforcement

Zero

Cross-domain network reachability

SC/DV

Cleared personnel at every facility

Full

JSP 440 and NATO security compliance

The Challenge

Defence networks face state-level adversaries.

Nation-State Persistence

State-sponsored actors maintain persistent access campaigns against defence networks, investing years of effort to compromise a single classified system.

Cross-Domain Risks

Information sharing between classification levels creates network paths that, if compromised, could allow classified data to traverse to lower classification domains.

Legacy Military Systems

Decades-old military systems were designed for physical isolation but are increasingly connected to modern networks for interoperability.

The Scenario

Scenario: Cross-Domain Boundary Compromise

A state-sponsored group identifies a misconfiguration in a cross-domain solution connecting SECRET and OFFICIAL networks. The misconfiguration allows carefully crafted data packets to bypass content inspection, creating a covert channel for exfiltrating classified material. The channel operates for months at low bandwidth, evading detection systems tuned for bulk data movement. With Firevault Control, cross-domain boundaries are physically enforced. Data movement between classification levels requires multi-party authorisation with full content verification. The covert channel cannot exist because the physical path between domains does not exist outside authorised transfer windows.

"Our cross-domain solution had been certified and accredited. It passed every penetration test. But the misconfiguration that enabled the covert channel was in a feature that had been added after certification. The accreditation process had not caught up."

Module deployment · defence network

Where each Control module is deployed across admin, mission and classified domains.

Defence estates separate admin networks from mission systems and classified enclaves. Control puts a boundary between each domain so the right things stay reachable and the wrong things do not. Sovereign data lives behind its own firebreak.

Grounded in MOD Secure by Design, NCSC for defence, NIST SP 800-171 and JSP guidance available in the public domain.

D0

Internet / Cloud

External

External services
Cloud
FirebreakValidate

External traffic stops at the admin perimeter.

D1

Admin network

Admin

Office IT
Email
SOC

Day-to-day business systems.

Day-to-day business systems.

IsolateFirebreak

Admin cannot reach mission directly.

DMZ

Cross-domain DMZ

DMZ · trust boundary

Guard
Data diode

One-way and brokered exchange between domains.

One-way and brokered exchange between domains.

ValidateTransfer

Cross-domain movement is checked and routed.

D2

Mission planning

Mission

Planning systems
Logistics
Execute

Mission actions approved before they move.

D3

Mission execution

Mission

Command & control
ISR feeds

Operational tempo, not office hours.

Operational tempo, not office hours.

IsolateLock

Classified access is named with the right clearance.

D4

Classified enclave

Mission

Sovereign workloads
Sensitive data

Sovereign and sensitive systems.

Sovereign and sensitive systems.

OSS

Crown jewels

Off-network

Detail callout · A

Offline Secure Storage

Sovereign records, sensitive data, evidence and the recovery sets needed to survive a worst day.

Offline by design · secure by default

Modules & symbols

FirebreakPhysical sever
ValidateIntegrity check
IsolateZone boundary
TransferControlled move
ExecuteApproved action
LockNamed access
DMZ boundaryTrust transition
OSS calloutOff-network detail

Where each module is deployed, and what it does there.

One row per module. Placement on the network, then plain-English purpose at that point.

  1. Isolate

    On the D1 to DMZ link and the D3 to D4 link

    Admin, mission and classified each sit on their own physical fabrics. A compromise in admin cannot walk into mission or classified.

  2. Firebreak

    On the D0 to D1 link and the D1 to DMZ link

    Real hardware off switches on the public and admin boundaries, cutting the live path into mission and classified estates.

  3. Validate

    On the D0 to D1 link and inside the cross-domain DMZ

    Requests crossing into trusted estates are checked for origin, integrity and authority before they reach an operational system.

  4. Transfer

    Inside the cross-domain DMZ

    Movement between domains is brokered, often one-way. Transfer governs the route and the landing point.

  5. Execute

    On the D2 to D3 link

    Mission actions hold until the right approval is in place.

  6. Lock

    On the D3 to D4 link

    Classified access ties to named individuals with the right clearance, device and authority.

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Key Capabilities

UK Sovereign Facilities

All classified data remains within NATO-approved underground facilities in the United Kingdom, managed by SC/DV-cleared personnel under MOD oversight.

Cleared Multi-Party Access

All access requires authorisation from multiple cleared individuals across different roles, preventing any single point of compromise.

JSP 440 Compliance

Automated compliance logging maps directly to JSP 440, JSP 604, and NATO security requirements with continuous evidence generation.

Independent Communications

Out-of-band management via dedicated, secured communications ensures control plane access independent of primary defence networks.

Forensic-Grade Logging

Every access, transfer, and authorisation decision is recorded in tamper-proof, classification-appropriate logs on physically separate infrastructure.

Cleared Recovery Capability

Verified control-plane baselines maintained within appropriately cleared facilities ensure classified system restoration during total compromise scenarios.

Demo to Live

Adoption Guide

Step 1

Classification Boundary Assessment

Map all cross-domain connections and data flows between classification levels, identifying persistent paths and reachability gaps against JSP 440 requirements.

Step 2

Sovereign Architecture Design

Design physically separated classification zones with Control modules enforcing each boundary, aligned to MOD and NATO security requirements.

Step 3

Accredited Pilot

Deploy within a controlled environment with full classification boundary enforcement, multi-party authorisation, and forensic logging for accreditation evaluation.

Step 4

Operational Capability

Full deployment across defence infrastructure with cleared verified baselines, continuous compliance evidence, and independent communications.

Step 1

Classification Boundary Assessment

Map all cross-domain connections and data flows between classification levels, identifying persistent paths and reachability gaps against JSP 440 requirements.

Step 2

Sovereign Architecture Design

Design physically separated classification zones with Control modules enforcing each boundary, aligned to MOD and NATO security requirements.

Step 3

Accredited Pilot

Deploy within a controlled environment with full classification boundary enforcement, multi-party authorisation, and forensic logging for accreditation evaluation.

Step 4

Operational Capability

Full deployment across defence infrastructure with cleared verified baselines, continuous compliance evidence, and independent communications.

Questions

Frequently Asked

Defence blueprint - PoC

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