Trusted Wireless Partner for Over a Decade
AccessAgility is a leading provider of enterprise wireless solutions. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been a valued customer for over a decade, awarding AccessAgility prime contracts dating back to 2008. We are proud to have worked side-by-side with the FAA's information technology managers and lines of business leadership for over 14 years and continue to provide them with the most up-to-date information regarding WiFi/wireless technology, security and innovation.
No Wireless Policy and Wireless Intrusion Detection System (WIDS)
In 2008, AccessAgility was awarded a multi-year contract to install a wireless intrusion detection system (WIDS) and monitor wireless security events from the FAA Cyber Security Management Center (CSMC). This required capturing, collecting, and analyzing data from 300+ sites including mobile devices, laptops and handheld computers. The highly distributed and complex environment was managed through an integrated suite of commercial off-the-shelf products that provided best-in-class WIDS/IPS technology and event management capabilities with efficient yet granular control over how each piece performs.
ATO Wireless Pilot Program
In 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration began moving away from its “no wireless” policy to introducing wireless, maintaining flexibility in implementation while still ensuring a secure network for contractors and guests in all locations. The FAA issued a Request for Information (RFI) for enterprise wireless services. The RFI requested information on how to provide a more efficient and secure way to conduct business over WiFi at all FAA locations, including contractor and guest users.
In 2011, AccessAgility was awarded a contract under the FAA eFAST program in order to provide expertise on whether or not the implementation of wireless/WiFi/WLAN access could be beneficial to FAA employees, contractors, and guests as an alternative to wired networking. This was a pilot program that used five different wireless vendors in five different US mainland locations (three Washington, DC locations, Atlantic City, NJ, and Houston, TX). Each location focused on a different type of environment: Washington D.C. with dense high-rise buildings, Houston with suburban office parks and retail areas and Atlantic City/FAA Technology Center with large meeting spaces and testing facilities. These environments proposed some interesting challenges to AccessAgility regarding building types and dense usage areas.
The ATO Wireless Pilot Program (WPP) was created to evaluate the feasibility of adding an authentication solution that could use 802.1x to secure access for a wireless network. A Certificate Authority (CA) server was created in order to issue certificates for use with 802.1x authentication, a RADIUS server was implemented for the required validation of users, and Active Directory (AD) domain was created in order for staff to continue to use their existing AD accounts. This program demonstrated that integrating these three projects would be a relatively simple and allow for a quick transition from the FAA's prior hardwire-based system.
This solution provided wireless internet access for client devices, including FAA laptop computers and tablet devices. All security and policy events were sent to a central logging system and integrated with the aforementioned wireless intrusion detection system (WIDS).
Network Modernization and Enterprise Wireless Program (EWP)
In 2015, AccessAgility was awarded the Enterprise Wireless Program (EWP) contract by the FAA to provide full implementation of the enterprise wireless network for hundreds of facilities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all US territories. The award came after a rigorous evaluation process that included a proposal review, facility visits, and onsite demonstration and presentation, as well as interviews with key agency staff to determine how AccessAgility could deliver an efficient implementation plan.
The scope of this work is extensive, but can be broken down into three categories.
- Design & Pre-Install Survey: We perform a meticulous design and pre-install survey for each installation site. This includes wireless frequency analysis, existing network closets, cable runs and power supply requirements. The end result is a deliverable presenting the full design package prior to the installation. This document includes detailed reports and drawings outlining existing network closets, cable runs, power requirements and other factors before any work begins.
- Installation: To ensure that the FAA's new wireless network meets AccessAgility’s standardized design and performance requirements, we only utilize our owned cleared employees to perform all of our work. We coordinate the shipment of all purchased equipment and installation materials to each FAA facility, travel to each location and perform the installation following our approved design package. This includes running cable, hanging access points (APs) on walls and ceilings (making penetrations where necessary), and configuring network switches. Upon completion of the installation, before leaving each site we perform quality tests to ensure the network is functioning properly.
- Support: We create and deliver a post-installation survey package documenting the process in its entirety. Additionally, we make ourselves available for any post install support requirements.
AccessAgility is the FAA's primary solution integrator for their Enterprise Wireless Program (WEP) and Wireless Intrusion Detection System (WIDS). Since 2008, AccessAgility has received multiple Awards of Excellence in recognition of our contribution to these programs. These accomplishments make us an industry leader in wireless intrusion detection, intrusion prevention technologies and wireless LAN infrastructure design services.
|
|