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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.11

Genie

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:	Genie is a fitting and counseling technology designed to assist hearing care professionals in providing hearing aid fittings and meeting the needs of each individual user. Genie is designed for high-precision first time fittings that increases initial user acceptance and reduces the need for follow-up fine tuning. If this technology is used as standalone technology, data is stored in a Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server database. If this technology is not used as a standalone technology, data is stored in NOAH. Note: The installation of Genie includes Genie and Genie2. Genie2 is a new fitting platform for Oticon introduced in 2016 to handle support for the Opn hearing aid. Genie supports Alta2, Nera2, Ria2, Dynamo, and Sensei SP hearing aids. There is a similar TRM entry for a product called Genie Medical, also offered by the same vendor. Genie and Genie Medical support a different set of devices. 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 authorized by the Mobile Technology and Endpoint Security Engineering Team: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITMT/SitePages/MTHome.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 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 v24.9
Decision Date:	09/24/2024 at 16:22:04 UTC
Aliases:	Genie Fitting Software; Genie2
Introduced By:	SCCM
Vendor Name:	Oticon

Vendor Release Information

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

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Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
2014.1
2014.2
2015.1
2015.2
2016.x
2017.x
2018.x
2019.x
2020.x
2021.x
2022.x
2023.x
2024.x	02/24/2024

Current Decision Matrix (09/20/2024)

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 VAIT 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.

Legend:

White	Authorized: The technology/standard has been authorized for use.
Yellow	Authorized 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	Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M): 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	Authorized w/ Constraints (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 unauthorized may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Unauthorized: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Authorized w/ Constraints (PLANNING/EVALUATION): 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 authorized 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 authorized 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.

Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M).

<Past

CY2021

CY2022

CY2023

Future>

Release

2014.1

Unapproved

2014.2

Unapproved

2015.1

Unapproved

2015.2

Unapproved

2016.x

Unapproved

2017.x

DIVEST
[8, 9, 10, 11]

Unapproved

2018.x

DIVEST
[8, 9, 10, 11]

Unapproved

2019.x

Approved w/Constraints
[8, 9, 10, 11]

DIVEST
[8, 10, 11, 12]

DIVEST
[8, 12, 13, 14]

DIVEST
[8, 13, 14, 15, 16]

DIVEST
[8, 13, 14, 16, 17]

Unapproved

2020.x

Unapproved

DIVEST
[8, 10, 11, 12]

DIVEST
[8, 12, 13, 14]

DIVEST
[8, 13, 14, 15, 16]

DIVEST
[8, 13, 14, 16, 17]

Unapproved

2021.x

Unapproved

DIVEST
[8, 10, 11, 12]

DIVEST
[8, 12, 13, 14]

DIVEST
[8, 13, 14, 15, 16]

DIVEST
[8, 13, 14, 16, 17]

Unapproved

2022.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[8, 10, 11, 12]

Approved w/Constraints
[8, 12, 13, 14]

Approved w/Constraints
[8, 13, 14, 15, 16]

DIVEST
[8, 13, 14, 16, 17]

DIVEST
[8, 14, 16, 17, 18]

2023.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[8, 13, 14, 15, 16]

Approved w/Constraints
[8, 13, 14, 16, 17]

Approved w/Constraints
[8, 14, 16, 17, 18]

2024.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]	Only instances of this technology that have been deployed may continue to use this technology. No further expansion or use of this technology is permitted without a waiver from the Architecture and Engineering Review Board (AERB) and expressed authorization from the Assistant Secretary/Chief Information Officer or the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Information and Technology.

[3]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is protected properly in accordance with VA Handbook 6500 and the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). Per VA Handbook 6500, FIPS 140-2 certified encryption must be used to protect and encrypt data in transit and at rest if Personally Identifiable Information/Protected Health Information/VA (PII/PHI/VA) sensitive information is involved. If FIPS 140-2 certified encryption in not used, additional mitigating controls must be documented in an authorized System Security Plan (SSP). In addition, the technology must be implemented within the VA production network (not in a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)), unless the specific uses and instances of the technology are authorized by the Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB). All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full ESCCB review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513.

[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]	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.

[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]	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.

[9]	Users must ensure that Acrobat Reader, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server are implemented with VA-authorized baselines.

[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]	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.

[12]	Users must ensure that Acrobat Reader, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server are implemented with VA-authorized baselines. Users must Divest the use of Internet Explorer with this technology. Other authorized internet browsers are available. See Category Tab for details.

[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 ISSO (Information System 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 System Security Officer (ISSO) 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).

[15]	Users must utilize authorized internet browsers, as Microsoft Internet Explorer has reached End of Life status. See Category Tab for details. This technology requires using a Universal Service Bus (USB) technology to transfer data into the records. As such, proper precautions need to be taken to protect data. Users must ensure that Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server is implemented with VA-authorized baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[16]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

[17]	Users must utilize authorized internet browsers, as Microsoft Internet Explorer has reached End of Life status. See Category Tab for details. This technology requires using a Universal Service Bus (USB) technology to transfer data into the records. As such, proper precautions need to be taken to protect data. Users must ensure that Google Chrome and Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server are implemented with VA-authorized baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[18]	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 ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 6500.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 2024.2 is the most current version, released 08/26/2024.

A standard configuration of this technology was developed by the DDE team. At the time of writing, the standard version is 24.1 (22.53.11), and version 24.2 (23.24.14.0) is under testing and development for six weeks from 09/13/2024.

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
Feedback Analyser Tool	This component performs feedback analysis. Feedback analysis is recommended for new fittings and whenever fitting parameters change.
Fitting Assistant	This component is a fine-tuning solution to handle the most common user complaints.
In-situ Audiometry Tool	This component lets users measure the client`s hearing using the hearing aids as transducers. This means that the results will be specific for the instrument and acoustic coupling.
OpenSound Navigator Tool	This component can verify or change the prescribed settings for your client. This component is specifically used to adjust how the client`s hearing aids perform in simple and complex environments.
Program Manager	This component assists users to add or change the content of programs.
Tinnitus	This component checks tinnitus levels of the hearing aids.


Health Care Health Services	Specialty Services
Health Care Administrative	Health Delivery Support

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 may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include audiology and patient care.

Adoption Risks

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 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.
This technology can integrate with and alter database technologies.
There are other authorized 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 no indication based on available vendor documentation that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.
This technology involves the use Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections and proper security precautions must be taken when used.
There is a lack of publicly available technical documentation and support requires an account sign-in to view the documents.

Architectural Benefits

This technology can use a VA-preferred database.
This technology is compatible with multiple other Technical Reference Model (TRM) technologies and standards used by the organization.
This technology can be network-enabled through the use of NOAH. Additionally, this technology can be run as a standalone technology. Per the vendor, a client module is automatically installed as part of the Genie installation. In the client module, users can enter demographic data, such as name, date of birth, address, and the audiogram. Client data is automatically saved in the Genie database and used for subsequent fittings.

Architectural Risks

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

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (09/24/2024 at 16:22:04 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.11

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (09/20/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Optional Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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