SimpleK Master Keying and Key Management

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:	SimpleK Master Keying and Key Management is a group of modules and applications used to support physical key and facility management. Features include: Master Keying and Institutional Locksmithing, Key Control, Facility Management, and Item Tracking (Asset Tracking). This entry covers the Desktop Edition of this technology and not any mobile versions. Please note that the implementation of mobile technology applications that operate on Mobile Operating Systems must be reviewed and approved by the Mobile Technology and Endpoint Security Engineering Team: http://vaww.eie.va.gov/SysDesign/CS/MT/default.aspx
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 been assessed by the Section 508 Office and found non-conformant. 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. Please see reference tab for more information concerning product versions.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v23.4
Decision Date:	04/10/2023 at 02:59:36 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Prosystech

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
4.5.x
4.6.x
4.7.x
4.8.x	11/30/2015
4.9.x	05/13/2016
4.10.x	02/21/2017
5.0.x	09/01/2018
5.1.x	09/16/2018
5.2.x	05/25/2020
5.3.x	02/21/2022
5.4.x

Current Decision Matrix (04/05/2023)

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

4.5.x

Unapproved

4.6.x

Unapproved

4.7.x

Unapproved

4.8.x

Unapproved

4.9.x

Divest
[4, 6, 8]

Unapproved

4.10.x

Divest
[4, 6, 8]

Unapproved

5.0.x

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 6, 8]

Divest
[6, 9, 10]

Divest
[4, 6, 10, 11, 12]

Unapproved

5.1.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[6, 9, 10]

Divest
[4, 6, 10, 11, 12]

Divest
[4, 11, 12, 13, 14]

5.2.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 6, 10, 11, 12]

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 11, 12, 13, 14]

5.3.x

Unapproved

5.4.x

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	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.

[2]	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).

[3]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period.

[4]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[5]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. If the MySQL database is leveraged, the following constraints must be applied: Configuration and deployment standards for databases and their host server images are defined and maintained by the Core Systems Engineering organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering (ESE) and must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted. Detailed information can be found at the following location: https://vaww.sde.portal.va.gov/svcs/sma/BCM/SitePages/Home.aspx VA has ELAs in place for preferred RDBMS technologies (Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle DB). Customers must get their licenses through these channels, not via independent, uncoordinated small procurements. Detailed information can be found at the following location: http://vaww.eie.va.gov/TIPO/default.aspx MySQL Database may only be used for Intranet applications. Use of MySQL to store Protected Heath Information (PHI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or VA-sensitive information is unapproved until VA develops and approves a security configuration baseline to meet VA`s security requirements for PHI/PII/VA-sensitive information. See the VA baseline website site referenced above for more information. Any use of this product for PHI/PII/VA-sensitive information must be waivered for use by the AERB waiver process. At the time of this writing, NIST and NSOC had not made a distinction if any known vulnerabilities have been remediated in the enterprise edition. This will need to be considered if VA were to develop a security configuration baseline for either edition.

[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]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. If the MySQL database is leveraged, the following constraints must be applied: Configuration and deployment standards for databases and their host server images are defined and maintained by the Infrastructure Engineering (contact OIT ITOPS SD IE Managers) organization within VA Solution Delivery (SD) and must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted. Detailed information can be found at the following location: https://vaww.sde.portal.va.gov/svcs/sma/BCM/SitePages/Home.aspx VA has ELAs in place for preferred RDBMS technologies (Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle DB). Customers must get their licenses through these channels, not via independent, uncoordinated small procurements. Detailed information can be found at the following location: http://vaww.eie.va.gov/TIPO/default.aspx MySQL Database may only be used for Intranet applications. Use of MySQL to store Protected Heath Information (PHI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or VA-sensitive information is unapproved until VA develops and approves a security configuration baseline to meet VA`s security requirements for PHI/PII/VA-sensitive information. See the VA baseline website site referenced above for more information. Any use of this product for PHI/PII/VA-sensitive information must be waivered for use by the AERB waiver process. At the time of this writing, NIST and NSOC had not made a distinction if any known vulnerabilities have been remediated in the enterprise edition. This will need to be considered if VA were to develop a security configuration baseline for either edition.

[8]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period.If the MySQL database is leveraged, the following constraints must be applied: Configuration and deployment standards for databases and their host server images are defined and maintained by the Infrastructure Engineering (contact OIT ITOPS SD IE Managers) organization within VA Solution Delivery (SD) and must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted. Detailed information can be found at the following location: https://vaww.sde.portal.va.gov/svcs/sma/BCM/SitePages/Home.aspx VA has ELAs in place for preferred RDBMS technologies (Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle DB). Customers must get their licenses through these channels, not via independent, uncoordinated small procurements. Detailed information can be found at the following location: http://vaww.eie.va.gov/TIPO/default.aspx MySQL Database may only be used for Intranet applications. Use of MySQL to store Protected Heath Information (PHI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or VA-sensitive information is unapproved until VA develops and approves a security configuration baseline to meet VA`s security requirements for PHI/PII/VA-sensitive information. See the VA baseline website site referenced above for more information. Any use of this product for PHI/PII/VA-sensitive information must be waivered for use by the AERB waiver process. At the time of this writing, NIST and NSOC had not made a distinction if any known vulnerabilities have been remediated in the enterprise edition. This will need to be considered if VA were to develop a security configuration baseline for either edition.

[9]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Users must ensure that Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server and Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) are implemented with VA-approved baselines. This product can be configured with a MySQL Database which currently has TRM constraints for intranet use only due to its many known security issues. If MySQL is selected for use with this product, these factors should be considered especially when an instance of this product will be considered a Moderate or High Risk system. See the MySQL Database TRM entry for more details.

[10]	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).

[11]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Users must ensure that Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft .Net framework, Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server and Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) are implemented with VA-approved baselines. This product can be configured with a MySQL Database which currently has TRM constraints for intranet use only due to its many known security issues. If MySQL is selected for use with this product, these factors should be considered especially when an instance of this product will be considered a Moderate or High Risk system. See the MySQL Database TRM entry for more details.

[12]	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.

[13]	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.

[14]	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).

Note:

At the time of writing, version 5.4.0 is the most current version

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description

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
No components have been identified for this entry.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Security Identity and Access Management	Authentication

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

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

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include Master Keying and Institutional Locksmithing, Key Control, Facility Management, and Item Tracking (Asset Tracking).
The use of this technology may help improve the security posture of the organization.
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 supports a number of industry standard file formats.
This is a well-documented technology.

Adoption Risks

There is no indication based on available vendor documentation that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.
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.
There is limited publicly available technical documentation for this technology.
This product can be configured with a MySQL Commercial Edition Database, which currently has TRM constraints limiting its use to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) only due to its many known security issues on other platforms.
This technology can integrate with and alter database technologies.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
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.
This software has a free trial period, which carries the potential for the disruption of service delivery and inaccurate financial planning.
The technology requires the purchase of licenses from vendor, which could potentially lead to vendor lock-in.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is compatible with multiple other Technical Reference Model (TRM) technologies and standards used by the organization.
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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Current Decision Matrix (04/05/2023)

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References

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VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/05/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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