Federal Network Resilience's Network and Infrastructure Security (NIS) branch optimizes federal agency network services into a common baseline security solution for the federal government. NIS provides network security support to federal departments and agencies by clarifying and overseeing federal security policy issues found during implementation of security initiatives. NIS champions the use of shared services and ensures that the right security information is shared throughout the federal government.

Mission

The NIS branch supports the goals of the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI), specifically Initiative 1, “Manage the Federal Enterprise Network as a single network enterprise with Trusted Internet Connections,” which is commonly referred to as the “Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Initiative.”

NIS is responsible for the oversight of the TIC initiative, development of Federal Network Resilience Reference Architectures for federal civilian agencies, and other related government-wide network and infrastructure security efforts.

Trusted Internet Connection (TIC) Initiative

You may find information about TIC Access Providers and Agencies Seeking Service on the Trusted Internet Connections Web page. You may also find information on:

• theTIC Initiative,
• TIC 2.0 Reference Architecture,
• requesting additional TICs, and
• Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Services (MTIPS) on the GSA Networx contract.

FNR Reference Architectures

NIS is currently developing Reference Architectures that focus on improving the cybersecurity posture across federal civilian agencies by:

1. addressing all known vulnerabilities, challenges, policies, and standards for specific technologies;
2. documenting and sharing the best practices implemented by federal agencies; and
3. building a collaborative community that addresses current and future cyber security challenges.

The most current approved FNR Reference Architectures available on the OMB MAX Portal are listed below:

• Domain Name System (DNS) Security Reference Architecture
• Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Reference Architecture
• Email Gateway Reference Architecture
• Telework Reference Architecture
• Continuous Security Awareness Training System (CSATS) Reference Architecture
• Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Reference Architecture 2.0