Phonak Target

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Phonak Target is hearing aid fitting software that provides access to hearing instrument and accessory features. This solution enables testing the patient`s hearing directly through many hearing instruments, taking into account the properties of the patient`s ears and the chosen hearing instruments. This software can connect to Audeo B-Direct, found on Phonak hearing aids, which offers direct connectivity to any Bluetooth phone. This technology uses NOAH as the programming interface and a Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server database to store audiogram data, which gets automatically imported into Phonak Target and taken into account for the pre-calculation at the start of a fitting. The database stores key elements of the previous fitting, enabling migration across models and product families and software versions, to the new fitting. Transferred elements include the fine-tuned frequency responses and the customized program structure. All data are stored in the `Data` folder which is found on the user`s local computer.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v24.3
Decision Date:	03/29/2024 at 02:26:06 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Phonak

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
1.0	10/13/2010
2.0	10/19/2011
2.1	04/30/2011
3.0	10/31/2012
3.1	04/03/2013
3.2	10/01/2013
3.3	04/30/2014
4.0	10/31/2014
4.1	04/30/2015
4.2	08/31/2015
4.3.x	03/31/2016
5.x	08/31/2016
6.x	11/30/2018
7.x
8.x	11/01/2022
9.x	08/14/2023

Current Decision Matrix (03/27/2024)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2019

CY2020

CY2021

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

1.0

Unapproved

2.0

Unapproved

2.1

Unapproved

3.0

Unapproved

3.1

Unapproved

3.2

Divest
[5, 6, 7, 8]

Unapproved

3.3

Divest
[5, 6, 7, 8]

Unapproved

4.0

Divest
[5, 6, 7, 8]

Unapproved

4.1

Divest
[5, 6, 7, 8]

Unapproved

4.2

Divest
[5, 6, 7, 8]

Unapproved

4.3.x

Divest
[5, 6, 7, 8]

Unapproved

5.x

Divest
[5, 6, 7, 8]

Unapproved

6.x

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 6, 7, 8]

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 9, 10, 11, 12]

7.x

Unapproved

8.x

Unapproved

9.x

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	This Technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population.

[2]	Projects using this technology must meet Veterans Affairs (VA) Directive 6512, Secure Wireless Technology, VA Directive 6500 and implement Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS 199) for all laptop devices and National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-53 for all desktop devices when VA sensitive information is involved, or additional mitigating controls must be documented in an approved System Security Plan (SSP) to prevent potential disclosure of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Personal Health Information (PHI) data. Additionally, projects which interface with external VA partners must have a Memorandum of Understanding and Interconnection Security Agreements (MOU/ISA). Note: This technology is restricted to NOAH configurations only. It may not be used in the stand-alone setting.

[3]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[4]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information Security Officer (ISO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[5]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[6]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[7]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information Security Officer (ISO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[8]	This product includes a Bluetooth capability. If that capability is leveraged, the implementer must conform to the Bluetooth Standard. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[9]	Users must ensure that Microsoft .NET Framework, Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) and Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[10]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[11]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information Security Officer (ISO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[12]	This product includes a Bluetooth capability. If that capability is leveraged, the implementer must conform to the Bluetooth Standard. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 9.1.1862 is the most current version.

A standard configuration of this technology was developed by the DDE team. At the time of writing, the standard version is 9.0.1493, and version 9.1.1862 is under testing and development for six weeks from 03/15/2024.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
Audibility Fine Tuning	Audibility Fine Tuning addresses the need for fine tuning to a specific hearing target, such as speech, own voice, overall loudness and even individual phonemes necessary for speech recognition and intelligibility.
AudiogramDirect	AudiogramDirect ensures a more personalized pre-calculation, leading to enhanced spontaneous acceptance and less fine tuning efforts. Additionally, AudiogramDirect assists in selecting and comparing diagnostic data obtained in different sessions without having to exit a fitting session.
Auto Acclimatization	Through Auto Acclimatization, a hearing care professional can specify a duration in which the gain of the hearing aid automatically increases to a set target gain. This can assist the users with gradual acclimation of the hearing aid.
Benefit Demonstrator	Benefit Demonstrator is a counseling component used to allow clients and their significant others to experience hearing aids versus no hearing aids, monaural versus binaural hearing and to compare technology levels all through standard headphones.
Junior Mode	The Junior mode component offers age specific defaults and hearing instrument configurations optimized to meet the needs of children and their families. The new Junior mode includes four age ranges: 0-3, 4-8, 9-12 & 13-18 years.
TargetMatch	TargetMatch is an automated guidance system which provides a step by step workflow for the process of probe tube placement, and obtains Real Ear and 2cc/test box measurements, as well as automatic or manual target matching. This may assist in incorporating verification into the fitting process.
Tinnitus Balance	The Tinnitus Balance noise generator is a feature which allows users to mute the gain for manual programs, i.e. for noise generator only use.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Productivity Software	Health Care
Health Care Health Services	Specialty Services

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Server - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Microsoft .NET Framework
Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) - (required for some configurations)
Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server
NOAH
Visual C++ Redistributable Package

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

At the time of writing, no National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities had been reported and no VA Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) bulletins had been issued for the latest versions of this technology.
This technology provides proprietary functionality for vendor`s associated hardware.

Adoption Risks

There is no indication based on either the vendor documentation or the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.
The potential exists to store Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data and proper security standards must be followed in these cases.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this product, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
There are other approved solutions that provide similar functionality available on the TRM. The use of several similar solutions may increase organization requirements for support and maintenance.
This technology involves the use Bluetooth connections and proper security precautions must be taken when used.
Microsoft Internet Explorer, a dependency of this technology, is in End-of-Life status and must no longer be used.
The technology requires the purchase of licenses from vendor, which could potentially lead to vendor lock-in.
This technology involves the use Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections and proper security precautions must be taken when used.
This technology can integrate with and alter database technologies.

Architectural Benefits

This technology can connect to the NOAH database which helps enable users to measure hearing loss with audiogram and speech tests or loudness scaling.
This technology can use a VA-preferred database.

Architectural Risks

This technology is not portable as it runs only on Windows platforms.

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VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

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