The Canadian Military is Expanding its National Data Transfer Service
A small, minor update in CANFORGEN reveals details about new investments
On July 18, a new CANFORGEN was released about the Canadian Armed Force (CAF) National Data Transfer Service (NDTS). Although it initially looks like a small clarification about the NDTS, some small changes reveal more about the CAF’s direction.
What is the NDTS?
Before getting into the dirty details of CANFORGEN, what is the NDTS? The CAF has different networks authorized for different types of classified data. While Protect B data can be in cloud environments, the policies and requirements on Secret and Top Secret data mean that you cannot easily transfer data from a classified network to an unclassified network. That is where the NDTS comes in.
The national data transfer service securely transfer data between these networks to ensure compliance with data policies and maintain security. As the CAF increasingly adopts cloud and secret networks, the NDTS will increase in importance.
Strategic Joint Staff Joint Information and Intelligence Centre (JIIFC)
All of this data transfer work is all handled by the Strategic Joint Staff's Joint Information and Intelligence Fusion Centre (JIIFC), which is likely one of the most important parts of the CAF that you have never heard of before. The JIIFC aims to "provide the best possible situational awareness to all levels of command." Since its creation, JIIFC has sought to improve and promote connectivity throughout the Department of National Defence, CAF, and government partners. Due to this role, it is no surprise that they are responsible for the NDTS.
The JIIFC is based at CFS Leitrim, which is just South of Ottawa and was previously the headquarters of the Information Operations Group, which has now been rolled into the Digital Services Group. Also located at CFS Leitrim is the Canadian Forces Network Operations Centre and the Canadian Forces Signals Intelligence Operations Centre.
What is Changing?
The CANFORGEN does not have many details and is largely an update on an old CANFORGEN about the NDTS, but the key things that are being updated which reveal what is happening here.
Overall, what the NDTS are doing is expanding and improving upon its capabilities to do data transfer. A few things inform this analysis:
Additional hours and new contact details. Although it is only 1 additional hour a day, this adds up to at least 365 additional hours per person a year.
There is also now an online portal to contact the NDTS
The new CANFORGEN refers to JIIFC expanding its service and availability for those throughout the CAF. Although how they are doing this is not fully clear, I have information about exactly what JIIFC is expanding its services.
Earlier this year, I learned that the JIIFC were looking into cross-domain solutions, which is connected to this announcement. This suggests to me that the expansion of their activities is both who they are servicing and the capabilities
So What?
It's a small announcement, but put into the context of DND/CAF digital transformation, this represents a piece of a larger adoption of data practices and data-driven operations.
As discussed in my latest CGAI article, the CAF is undergoing a major revolution in military affairs through digital transformation. One component is procuring a cloud environment for classified secret data, which would be used extensively for operations.
The NDTS will become increasingly crucial to the operations of DND/CAF as data-driven operations become the norm. Data valuation is at the heart of what DND/CAF is doing in every area right now, so it makes sense that DND/CAF is preparing its backbone infrastructure to take on the increased demand. The military has historically not always had the best foresight with this, so the fact they are upgrading this important background infrastructure is a positive sign for digital transformation.