Security infrastructure for service oriented architectures at the tactical edge

Abstract

The requirement for enabling network centric warfare through the accommodation of network-enabled capabilities, promoted the use of service oriented architectures (SOA) within military networks. The initial response of the academic and industrial communities was to utilize standard enterprise SOA. The developed solutions were well adjusted to the strategic domain, where node and network constraints were minimal. Yet, experience gained from the battlefields of the last decade, has proven that the tactical domain imposes a set of unique constraints, that render such solutions inefficient for the tactical edge. The project TACTICS, supported by the European Defense Agency, focuses on the study and development of a SOA dedicated to tactical networks. In this paper we present the designed security service architecture, as developed in accordance to the requirements identified in our earlier studies. Each service is presented as an architectural element within the TACTICS TSI (Tactical Service Infrastructure), aiming to highlight the distinct functionalities of the security infrastructure towards the efficient enforcement of security controls at the tactical edge.