FYI...

Margo Reyna
Regulatory Analyst
Enron Corp., Government Affairs
Phone:  713-853-9191

----- Forwarded by Margo Reyna/NA/Enron on 12/05/2000 01:13 PM -----

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		 Subject: Telecom Services: Satellites, Broadband Services: NASA SAYS 
SATELLITE INTERNET SYSTEM COULD ...


NASA SAYS SATELLITE INTERNET SYSTEM COULD HAVE EARTH ROLE 
  
12/04/2000 
Satellite Week 
(c) Copyright 2000 Warren Communications News, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
NASA-Veridian Internet-based satellite control project could have 
implications beyond space industry, and much sooner than 10-year time frame 
for system's launch, developers say. NASA and Veridian have developed 
Internet-based virtual private network and firewall that allows engineers on 
ground to control functions in space, freeing astronauts for other jobs. It 
was demonstrated Nov. 2 at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Ground industries, including banking, have expressed interest in implementing 
version of system for their use. Such a system "depends on what they want to 
do. It depends on the robustness of the controls," said James Light, Veridian 
deputy dir. of space and network systems. He old us "we could roll out a 
security solution within 3 months." 
System could save time and money across the board, said Phillip Paulsen, 
project mgr. for NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Among those 
interested in new technology, "satellite vendors are very interested because 
they look at it as a way to reduce time to build" and validate spacecraft, 
Paulsen said. System also would allow problems to be detected earlier, giving 
engineers opportunity to fix them before launch. He said data from 
Goddard-supplied module that communicated with active satellite in test were 
"extremely good."
Paulsen said Veridian supplied its own money for project from its internal 
development fund. Company developed virtual private network (VPN) that acts 
as firewall that protects user as well as data by setting up encrypted 2-way 
communication. Authentication validates user name and password and uses 
biometric technology that takes thumbprint and body temperature. System "can 
detect if someone attempts to break in or if someone on the inside attempts 
to do something they shouldn't do," Paulsen said.
Employees would need thumbprint to access system, and users could leave desk 
and others with less access couldn't send commands on active user's log-in. 
System also can detect hacking attempts by finding IP addresses and locations 
of hackers. During demonstration, "we brought one of our professional hackers 
to show some security layers," Light said. Probes also came from Europe, 
Japan and U. of Cincinnati. "We could see how deep they got and they didn't 
get any information from the probe," Light said.
System also was set up to provide electronic certificates that grant access 
for specific times, denying access to people if they try to log on out of 
time. Secure Missions Operations Control Center (SMOCC) has database built in 
with information on which individuals have access and extent of access. 
System also can prioritize access, giving it at specific time to one 
researcher and denying it at same time to another. It's configured so that 
"worst thing" unauthorized user can do is "run a controlled experiment," 
Paulsen said. Security system leaves no traces of software used to run it; if 
a researcher had computer stolen, thief could not access experiments. 

Folder Name: Telecom Services: Satellites, Broadband Services 
Relevance Score on Scale of 100: 75

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