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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

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:	Nintex Robotic Process Automation (RPA), allows enterprises to leverage trained bots to quickly and cost-effectively automate routine tasks without the use of code in an easy-to-use drag and drop interface. Users are now equipped with a comprehensive, enterprise-grade process management and automation solution that streamlines processes fueled by both structured and unstructured data sources.
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 v23.4
Decision Date:	04/05/2023 at 00:57:29 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Nintex

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
16.5.x	07/14/2020
17.10.x	09/15/2022
17.12.x
22.9.x

Current Decision Matrix (04/03/2023)

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

CY2024

CY2025

CY2026

Future>

Release

16.5.x

Unapproved

17.10.x

Unapproved

17.12.x

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 6, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16]

22.9.x

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 6, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Users must ensure that Google Chrome, Microsoft .NET Framework, and Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 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, users must abide by the following constraints: System owners should employ the use of FIPS 140-2 compliant software to protect VA sensitive data containing PII/PHI where applicable. At the end of the free trial, the product should be removed, or a full software license purchased to mitigate unwanted application and threat vector on the VA network. The product will need to be tested in a controlled environment and not process any live data. System owners may need to add an exemption to the underlying security software. Two solutions can be implemented along with role-based access control: a. The automation is assigned a PIV card. This treats the bot as a human worker. Care must be taken so that only specific individuals have access to the PIV card and only when the bot will be invoked. b. An alternative method is to assign only one individual the ability to invoke the robot (which shares its owner’s credentials). The process owner or project manager should engage with appropriate security personnel to assure both PII controls and necessary system access controls are designed into each bot. After installing Nintex RPA Central and Nintex RPA, one must install the Nintex RPA Chrome Extension if you want to target and automate interacting with elements in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium based) web pages. The Nintex RPA Chrome Extension can be installed on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

[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]	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).

[6]	Browser plug-ins and extensions may only be installed by VA IT Operations (ITOPS) and must be used with official VA browser installation packages that are managed by ITOPS. For installation, contact the National Service Desk [Mail Group: National Service Desk - Austin]. Browser extensions must be kept up to date with security patches and enhancements.

[7]	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.

[8]	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).

[9]	Users must ensure that Google Chrome, Microsoft .NET Framework, and Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) Microsoft Internet Explorer, a dependency of this technology, is in End-of-Life status and must no longer be used. If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Per the Security Assessment Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Security Engineering (SE) conducted a pre-assessment and security requirements verification of the Nintex RPA Chrome Extension. It is advised that if this product is used within the VA the following constraints be applied: The Nintex RPA Chrome Extension uses permissions that may not be necessary for the extension to function. Three high and two medium risk permissions were noted. It is advised that permissions are verified with the developer and removed if they are not absolutely necessary for the extension to function. Using permissions that are not essential to the extension’s functionality expose the system, using the Nintex RPA Chrome Extension, to potential vulnerabilities and addition risk that could otherwise be avoided by disabling nonessential permissions. VA Solution Delivery, Desktop and Device Engineering manages the Google Chrome standard configuration. The standard is based on the Google Chrome DISA STIG, which requires all extensions to be blocked by default. For browser plugins/extensions to be included in the national standard configuration, a request and a business justification must be submitted to Desktop and Device Engineering at the following URL: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/oitdde/SitePages/Requests.aspx All browser extensions must be evaluated to determine how each will affect the browser with all the other approved extensions as well as performance of the browser.

[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]	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).

[13]	Microsoft Internet Explorer, a dependency of this technology, is in End-of-Life status and must no longer be used. If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Per the Security Assessment Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Security Engineering (SE) conducted a pre-assessment and security requirements verification of the Nintex RPA Chrome Extension. It is advised that if this product is used within the VA the following constraints be applied: The Nintex RPA Chrome Extension uses permissions that may not be necessary for the extension to function. Three high and two medium risk permissions were noted. It is advised that permissions are verified with the developer and removed if they are not absolutely necessary for the extension to function. Using permissions that are not essential to the extension’s functionality expose the system, using the Nintex RPA Chrome Extension, to potential vulnerabilities and addition risk that could otherwise be avoided by disabling nonessential permissions. VA Solution Delivery, Desktop and Device Engineering manages the Google Chrome standard configuration. The standard is based on the Google Chrome DISA STIG, which requires all extensions to be blocked by default. For browser plugins/extensions to be included in the national standard configuration, a request and a business justification must be submitted to Desktop and Device Engineering at the following URL: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/oitdde/SitePages/Requests.aspx All browser extensions must be evaluated to determine how each will affect the browser with all the other approved extensions as well as performance of the browser.

[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.

[15]	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.

[16]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 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 or its successor 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 or 140-3 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the storage device 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). By September 22, 2026, all FIPS 140-2 certificate validations will be placed on the Historical List, please refer to FIPS Transition Effort for further guidance and timeline of changes.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 22.9.1 is the most current version, released 02/2023.

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Description
Vendor Provided*	Chrome extension	This is the instructions on how to install the chromium browser add-on for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
Other	Nintex Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Release Notes	This page provides information about version history
*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.


Application Technology Development Tools	Process Management Tools
Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Productivity Software	Miscellaneous Productivity Tools and Utilities

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (04/05/2023 at 00:57:29 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/03/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/03/2023)

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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