Entire Connection

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:	Entire Connection is a Windows, Secure Shell (SSH) and terminal emulator software. Entire Connection is a software package used by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to allow clients to run several independent host sessions concurrently and allows for a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to the Personnel Investigations Processing System (PIPS) for downloading investigation results directly to a standalone workstation. This technology utilizes Cisco`s AnyConnect VPN and the user`s Personal Identification Verification (PIV) card (registered to OPM) to download investigation results from PIPS.
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:	Section 508 does not apply. This product does not accept human interaction during its use. 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 v19.10
Decision Date:	10/09/2019 at 11:55:18 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Software AG

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	05/20/2015

Current Decision Matrix (09/27/2019)

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.

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Q1

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4.5.x

Divest

Decision Constraints


[1]	Enterprise Security Solutions Services (ESSS) conducted a pre-assessment and security requirements verification of Entire Connection. It is advised that if this product is used within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that the following constraints be applied: System owners should deploy FIPS compliant software to ensure VA sensitive data containing PII/PHI is protected with FIPS 140-2 validated technology. Users should use Attachmate, the VA approved emulation software, whenever possible. Entire Connection software should only be used when VA approved tools do not meet the necessary requirements, and the use of more specialized tools is warranted. A Risk Based Decision (RBD) must be submitted and approved through VA established channels. System owners should verify whether or not the product is still supported and updated by the vendor. If the product is end-of-life (EOL), it should not be used within VA. VA Handbook 6500 prohibits the use of commercial software/firmware and open source software from sources with limited or no warranty and without the provision of source code.

[2]	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.

[3]	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.

[4]	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.

[5]	Enterprise Security Solutions Services (ESSS) conducted a pre-assessment and security requirements verification of Entire Connection. It is advised that if this product is used within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that the following constraints be applied: System owners must deploy Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) compliant software to ensure VA sensitive data containing PII/PHI is protected with FIPS 140-2 validated technology. Users must use Attachmate, the VA approved emulation software, whenever possible. Entire Connection software must only be used when VA approved tools do not meet the necessary requirements, and the use of more specialized tools is warranted. A Risk Based Decision (RBD) must be submitted and approved through VA established channels. System owners must verify whether or not the product is still supported and updated by the vendor. If the product is end-of-life (EOL), it must not be used within VA. VA Handbook 6500 prohibits the use of commercial software/firmware and open source software from sources with limited or no warranty and without the provision of source code.

[6]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. 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 and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[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]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. 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 and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[9]	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.

[10]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. 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 and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[11]	System owners must deploy Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) compliant software to ensure VA sensitive data containing PII/PHI is protected with FIPS 140-2 validated technology. Users must use Attachmate, the VA approved emulation software, whenever possible. Entire Connection software must only be used when VA approved tools do not meet the necessary requirements, and the use of more specialized tools is warranted. A Risk Based Decision (RBD) must be submitted and approved through VA established channels. System owners must verify whether or not the product is still supported and updated by the vendor. If the product is end-of-life (EOL), it must not be used within VA. VA Handbook 6500 prohibits the use of commercial software/firmware and open source software from sources with limited or no warranty and without the provision of source code.

[12]	Users must use Attachmate, the VA approved emulation software,whenever possible. Entire Connection software must only be used when VA approved tools do not meet the necessary requirements, and the use of more specialized tools is warranted. The application was not selected to be part of the VA workstation baseline configuration and must not be used. Unauthorized applications must not be installed or used on the VA network unless a waiver,signed by the Deputy CIO of ASD and based upon a recommendation from the Strategic Technology Alignment Team (STAT), has been granted to the projectteam or organization that wishes to use the technology. System owners must verify whether or not the product is still supported and updated by the vendor. If the product is end-of-life (EOL), it must not be used within VA. VA Handbook 6500 prohibits the use of commercial software/firmware and open source software from sources with limited or no warranty and without the provision of source code.

Note:

At the time of writing, 4.5.2.0 is the most current version released.

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	Identity Management
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:

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a mature technology.
No National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities or VA Network Security Operations Center (NSOC) bulletins are listed for this product at this time.
This technology was used in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to run a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to the Personnel Investigation Processing System (PIPS), utilizing Cisco`s AnyConnect VPN and a user`s Personal Identification Verification (PIV) card.

Adoption Risks

This technology can collect, store or transmit Protected Health Information (PHI)/Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data.
This software allows for data connection to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) through the VA network and appropriate external connection standards and practices must be followed.
There is limited technical documentation publicly available.
There has been no recent development on this technology.
This technology should be considered end of life as it has been replaced by another software package by the vendor.
There is no indication that Entire Connection provides Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 validation encryption when data is at rest or in transit.
This technology is not a Veterans Affairs (VA) approved remote connection solution to connect to host systems and servers.
This technology was released in 2012 and there is no indication based on available information from the vendor web site and community forums that it has been updated since. Organizations are at risk for deploying outdated and unpatched software as they may be easily exploited by malicious actors.

Architectural Risks

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

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