WebEx Teams

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:	WebEx Teams is an application that allows a group of users to have access to video meetings, group messaging, file sharing, and whiteboarding. This technology provides advanced security for data, files and conversations. WebEx Teams is now a component of Cisco WebEx; also known as WebEx App. WebEx is a division of Cisco. 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 The TRM decisions in this entry only apply to technologies and versions owned, operated, managed, patched, and version-controlled by VA. This includes technologies deployed as software installations on VMs within VA-controlled cloud environments (e.g. VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC)). Cloud services provided by the VAEC, which are listed in the VAEC Service Catalog, and those controlled and managed by an external Cloud Service Provider (i.e. SaaS) are not in the purview of the TRM. For more information on the use of cloud services and cloud-based products within VA, including VA private clouds, please see the Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO) Portal at: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITECSO
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 v23.3
Decision Date:	03/17/2023 at 19:30:52 UTC
Aliases:	Cisco Spark; WebEx App; WebEx Meetings
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Cisco Systems, Inc

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
3.0.x	06/22/2018
40.x
41.x
42.x
43.x	03/07/2023

Current Decision Matrix (03/13/2023)

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

CY2020

CY2021

CY2022

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

3.0.x

Divest
[2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9]

Divest
[2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10]

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17]

40.x

Unapproved

41.x

Unapproved

42.x

Unapproved

43.x

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


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

[2]	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.

[3]	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.

[4]	In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004 , VA Directive 6517, and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process.

[5]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based technologies may not be used without the approval of the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO). This body is in part responsible for ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[6]	This technology must only be used to integrate with TRM-approved technologies and must not be used in conjunction with unapproved solutions such as Slack. If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Use of this technology is limited to JOINING external web-based training sessions scheduled by non-organization users (e.g. vendor partners). VA users must leverage the organization`s preferred teleconferencing solution, Skype for Business (Formerly Microsoft Lync), for internal hosted conferences. VA has selected Skype for Business as its preferred teleconferencing solution. No waiver or review is required for JOINING WebEx Teams meetings. Any use of this technology to host a VA event must be authorized by a Strategic Technology Alignment Team (STAT) waiver. There are no exceptions to the required waiver process for any reason. The STAT Board must seek guidance and/or approval from the Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) as needed when a waiver is granted to host conferences.

[7]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[8]	This technology must only be used to integrate with TRM-approved technologies.. If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Cloud deployment for this software must not be utilized as it is not FedRamp compliant. Users must implement this technology with the approved baseline version of FireFox and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Use of this technology on the VA network is limited to JOINING external web-based training sessions scheduled by non-organization users (e.g. vendor partners) until a full deployment of this technology is acquired.

[9]	New installations or major expansions of this technology that transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN) must complete a WAN impact review (contact VA e-mail: [OIT ITOPS SD Engagement Requests]) prior to implementation to ensure proper compliance to VA network design and usage requirements.

[10]	New installations or major expansions of this technology that transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN) must complete a WAN impact review (yourIT Service Portal:[SNOW Service Requests]) prior to implementation to ensure proper compliance to VA network design and usage requirements.

[11]	This technology must only be used to integrate with TRM-approved technologies. If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Cloud deployment for this software must not be utilized as it is not FedRamp compliant. Users must implement this technology with the approved baseline version of Google Chrome, FireFox, and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Only the VA approved FedRamp hosted instance of Webex Teams can be used within the VA and any non-VA version of Webex Teams should not be used to host VA meetings. No other WebEx platform outside of the approved VA FedRAMP solution is authorized for hosting VA conferences. Use of WebEx endpoint software on the VA network that is NOT connecting to the VA FedRAMP Enterprise WebEx cloud service is limited to JOINING external web-based training sessions scheduled by non-organization users (e.g. vendor partners). Users in this scenario should not screen share or share any sensitive data on these 3rd party hosted conferences.

[12]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the Project Special Forces (SPF) team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[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]	In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004 , VA Directive 6517, and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process.

[15]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the Project Special Forces (SPF) team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[16]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the Project Special Forces (PSF) team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[17]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the VA OIT Product Engineering team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

Note:

At the time of writing, version 43.3.0.25468 is the most current version, released 03/07/2023.

The versioning schema of this technology changed after WebEx Teams was integrated into WebEx.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Description
Vendor Provided*	The All-New Webex: Explaining the name change	This link describes the changes to the Cisco WebEx products and name change. It announces that WebEx Teams is now part of WebEx.
Vendor Provided*	WebEx App \| What's New	This link provides information about the latest release of WebEx App, version number and release dates for Windows and MacOS.
*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
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
Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Collaboration Software	Real-Time and Team Collaboration

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

macOS - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Safari

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

The vendor of this technology is an industry leader in the subject matter.
This is a well-documented technology.
This technology is Federal Information Processing (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.

Adoption Risks

A WebEx platform outside of the approved VA FedRAMP solution might be used for hosting VA conferences.
The FIPS Mode on the customer’s Webex site and the host`s Windows platform might not be
set to use FIPS mode.
WebEx Meeting might not be configured to only store information on the VA FEDRAMP WebEx instance.
VA Approved Gov Cloud Instance might not be used to host conferences.
Users might screen share or share any sensitive data on the 3rd party hosted conferences with non-organization users (e.g. vendor partners).
This technology may transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN).
There are Threat & Assessment Analysis Portal (TAAP) bulletins associated with this technology.
This technology may utilize external data connections.
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 technology has a free trial period, which carries the potential for the disruption of service delivery and inaccurate financial planning.
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.
There are known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) associated with this technology. Please see NVD - Results (nist.gov) for more details.
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.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-approved operating systems.

Architectural Risks

This technology includes cloud-based functionality which has potential information security risks.
This technology can integrate with third party solutions such as Slack and Google`s G Suite of products.

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Current Decision Matrix (03/13/2023)

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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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

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Current Decision Matrix (03/13/2023)

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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