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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

Qwizdom OKTOPUS

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:	Qwizdom OKTOPUS allows the user to annotate and work over or alongside software applications, existing content being presented, or a web browser. It can be used with interactive whiteboards, projectors, or panel displays. 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: 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 v24.4
Decision Date:	04/02/2024 at 02:04:57 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Qwizdom

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 (macOS)	06/13/2017
4.6.x (Windows)	10/22/2018
4.7.x (Windows)	08/09/2019
4.7.x (macOS)

Current Decision Matrix (03/29/2024)

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

CY2022

CY2023

CY2024

Future>

Release

4.5.x (macOS)

Divest
[3, 4, 8, 9]

Unapproved

4.6.x (Windows)

Unapproved

4.7.x (Windows)

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 4, 8, 9]

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 9, 10, 11]

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 9, 11, 12]

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

Unapproved

4.7.x (macOS)

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 4, 8, 9]

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 9, 10, 11]

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 9, 11, 12]

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

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Licenses to Qwizdom Notes + are included in the download for Qwizdom OKTOPUS, however, Qwizdom Notes + is not currently on the TRM. Therefore, Qwizdom Notes + must not be utilized. 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: Office of Information Technologies OIT ITOPS SD Engagement Requests) prior to implementation to ensure proper compliance to VA network design and usage requirements. The following constraints were provided through the Solution Delivery Security Engineering team Initial Product Review (IPR): Oktopus may not be used for any data containing PHI/PII, sensitive information. VA requires Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant cryptographic modules for encryption of data at rest and in transit. Ensure underlying infrastructure and application access are configured to provide FIPS 140-2 encryption for web and mobile access supporting Oktopus. Care must be taken to insure the original software is obtained. The administrator or installer should ensure that Oktopus is obtained from an authentic webstore with verifiable web certificate. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local O&T representative for permission to download and use this software. The Note+ application must be approved and added to the Approved Apps list by the Enterprise Systems Engineering Mobile Technologies Team prior to its use on VA issued mobile devices to ensure the security of VA data. The system user or administrator initiating the Oktopus process should have robust authentication credentials that prevent unauthorized or casual access. It is also advised that a custom usage policy be created at the Oktopus entry point and users required to accept it before they are allowed to access the application.

[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]	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.

[5]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Licenses to Qwizdom Notes + are included in the download for Qwizdom OKTOPUS, however, Qwizdom Notes + is not currently on the TRM. Therefore, Qwizdom Notes + must not be utilized. 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: Office of Information Technologies OIT ITOPS SD Engagement Requests) prior to implementation to ensure proper compliance to VA network design and usage requirements. The following constraints were provided through the Solution Delivery Security Engineering team Initial Product Review (IPR): Oktopus may not be used for any data containing PHI/PII, sensitive information. VA requires Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant cryptographic modules for encryption of data at rest and in transit. Ensure underlying infrastructure and application access are configured to provide FIPS 140-2 encryption for web and mobile access supporting Oktopus. Care must be taken to insure the original software is obtained. The administrator or installer should ensure that Oktopus is obtained from an authentic webstore with verifiable web certificate. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local O&T representative for permission to download and use this software. The Note+ application must be approved and added to the Approved Apps list by the Enterprise Systems Engineering Mobile Technologies Team prior to its use on VA issued mobile devices to ensure the security of VA data. The system user or administrator initiating the Oktopus process should have robust authentication credentials that prevent unauthorized or casual access. It is also advised that a custom usage policy be created at the Oktopus entry point and users required to accept it before they are allowed to access the application.

[6]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Per the Initial Product Review (IPR) the following constraints must be applied: Oktopus must not be used for any data containing PHI/PII, sensitive information. VA requires Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant cryptographic modules for encryption of data at rest and in transit. Users must ensure underlying infrastructure and application access are configured to provide FIPS 140-2 encryption for web and mobile access supporting Oktopus. Care must be taken to insure the original software is obtained. The administrator or installer must ensure that Oktopus is obtained from an authentic webstore with verifiable web certificate. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Users must check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local O&T representative for permission to download and use this software. The Note+ application must be approved and added to the Approved Apps list by the Enterprise Systems Engineering Mobile Technologies Team prior to its use on VA issued mobile devices to ensure the security of VA data. The system user or administrator initiating the Oktopus process must have robust authentication credentials that prevent unauthorized or casual access. A custom usage policy must created at the Oktopus entry point and users required to accept it before they are allowed to access the application.

[7]	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.

[8]	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.

[9]	Users must ensure that Firefox and Google Chrome are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Per the Initial Product Review (IPR) the following constraints must be applied: Oktopus will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. Care must be taken to insure the original software is obtained. The administrator or installer must ensure that Oktopus is obtained from an authentic webstore with verifiable web certificate. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Users must check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local O&T representative for permission to download and use this software. The Note+ application must be approved and added to the Approved Apps list by the Enterprise Systems Engineering Mobile Technologies Team prior to its use on VA issued mobile devices to ensure the security of VA data. The system user or administrator initiating the Oktopus process must have robust authentication credentials that prevent unauthorized or casual access. A custom usage policy must created at the Oktopus entry point and users required to accept it before they are allowed to access the application.

[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 ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[11]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) 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.

[12]	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.

[13]	Users must ensure that Firefox and Google Chrome are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Users must not utilize Bitmap Image File (BMP), as it is at the time of writing, divested in the TRM. Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Oktopus will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. Care must be taken to insure the original software is obtained. The administrator or installer must ensure that Oktopus is obtained from an authentic webstore with verifiable web certificate. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Users must check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local O&T representative for permission to download and use this software. The Note+ application must be approved and added to the Approved Apps list by the Enterprise Systems Engineering Mobile Technologies Team prior to its use on VA issued mobile devices to ensure the security of VA data. The system user or administrator initiating the Oktopus process must have robust authentication credentials that prevent unauthorized or casual access. A custom usage policy must created at the Oktopus entry point and users required to accept it before they are allowed to access the application.

[14]	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.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 4.7.12 is the most current version for Windows and version 4.7.5 is the most current version for macOS.

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.

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.


Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Collaboration Software	Real-Time and Team Collaboration

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (04/02/2024 at 02:04:57 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (03/29/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (03/29/2024)

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

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