Configure Multiple MFT Gateways for Military-Grade File Transfer Security

Every organisation sharing files requires security to protect their valuable data assets.  But nowhere is this more important than in the defence industry, where thwarting intrusions by malicious hackers requires the most secure file transfer solutions. 

The Challenge

Government agencies, military departments and contractors face many challenges to their routine transfers of highly confidential and time-sensitive information.  They are typically reliant on large data sets, which can be slow to deliver.  The data being exchanged must be protected in transit as well as when it’s stored.  Plus, tracking file delivery and successful receipt in the heat of the moment can be mission critical. 

Defence industry organisations need to know that their information can be exchanged efficiently and securely across their own departments, and sometimes out to external agencies.  Transactions may occur across a variety of network links spanning numerous territories.

To maintain high security for accessing secure information, sharing videos from an active military installation, or preparing an off-site recovery backup, infrastructure must be put into place to ensure file transfers can be streamlined and simplified without heavy IT administration.

Secure File Sharing for High-Security-Needs Industries

Meeting the security policies and substantial compliance regulations and requirements of military and defence departments, as well as those policies of other government agencies and their contractors, requires secure file transfer that goes beyond getting files from point A to point B. Not only do these file sharing solutions need to meet federal government compliance mandates, in some situations, they also need to be able to segment or airgap their file exchanges to physically separate networks or computers so they can operate as separate entities or networks. 

This separation, or “siloing”, can help insulate high-security organisations from cyber threats that would otherwise cross over a network, creating a domino effect from a single incident.

Multiple Gateway Advantage

A single Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution with the option to configure multiple gateways – such as GoAnywhere MFT - offers an enhanced level of security to protect highly sensitive data assets.  By establishing multiple gateways, organisations can use their MFT for both their internal traffic, as well as for exchanging files outside the organisation, making for better air gapping all around.

Multiple gateways enable defence industry organisations to communicate data with varied levels of security, simultaneously and seamlessly.  However, not all MFT solutions offer this capability. Some require a MFT application to sit directly in the DMZ rather than the private network. As GoAnywhere always initiates the connection to GoAnywhere Gateway, it allows MFT to sit in the private network and the gateway to be deployed to the DMZ and other network segments as needed.

This configuration helps highly secure organisations create a barrier, should they be attacked or threatened, as it provides more containment. The MFT and gateway can function like their own independent network and would be unaffected by something like a ransomware attack on another network.

U.S. Defence Contractor Case Study

The way one large U.S. defence contractor configures GoAnywhere demonstrates the advantages of multiple gateways. They had been using a homegrown file transfer solution to meet their general file transfer needs. While their solution easily accomplished standard data exchanges, their defence contract required multiple gateways for security and compliance purposes. 

GoAnywhere MFT offered the ideal single MFT environment plus the ability to utilise multiple gateways to provide security in a more segmented fashion.

In the sample architecture accompanying this article, you can see how GoAnywhere MFT is deployed in a single, secure network segment (OT networked) and GoAnywhere Gateway is strategically deployed in the DMZ and additional network segments. MFT initiates all communications to each Gateway instance, minimising exposure to the Secure OT network.  

This design eliminates the need to open any inbound ports into the secure zone, enabling user access from the different network segments. Additionally, file transfers can be facilitated to/from external partners through the Gateway deployed in the DMZ.  This scenario is an optional, but atypical use case.

To automate internal file movement across security boundaries, GoAnywhere Agents can be deployed without requiring any additional port openings. Agents leverage the Gateway for all communication and data transfers, ensuring a streamlined and secure file exchange process. 

In this scenario, GoAnywhere MFT’s Secure Mail module is used as a peer-to-peer solution within the contractor’s network. It incorporates security controls, such as automatic AES-256 bit encryption, restricted access controls, and a configurable data retention policy, so that employees sharing files with other employees or with external parties can be assured that even if an intrusion in another segment of the organisation occurs, the data contained on the network with a particular gateway remains isolated from that cyber threat.

File Integrity Checking via Checksum

Military operations need to be particularly careful that files which are sent arrive unaltered.  GoAnywhere’s checksum task can be inserted into any workflow to verify the integrity of files, generating a unique hash value which accompanies any data sent.  When the data is received, the same algorithm is applied to the data and compared to the original to confirm the data’s authenticity.

How Military File Sharing Benefits from Secure File Transfer

While secure file transfer solutions such as Fortra’s GoAnywhere MFT can help military and government organizations secure and accelerate their sensitive files, these capabilities need not be limited to only government entities.  Every company that has sensitive data assets which could potentially be exposed could also benefit from segmented networks.

In addition to delivering gateway options, GoAnywhere offers:

• Data encryption using FIPS 140-3 compliant AES, Triple DES, and TLS algorithms;

  
  

• Strong authentication methods;

  
  

• Automation to help reduce risks of manual file transfer tasks;

  
  

• Optimised bandwidth to ensure reliable transfers, even from remote locations or from locations with unreliable links; and

  
  

• File monitoring and tracking

Local Help on Hand

At Generic Systems Australia, we’re Australia’s and New Zealand’s deep local experts in MFT.  A top ten MFT partner for Fortra globally, we have many years of experience helping organisations from small to multinational install and leverage the world’s leading MFT.

Let us know if you’d like to learn more about how GoAnywhere MFT can help you.