For federal and government organizations that handle sensitive data, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), an agency of the US Department of Defense (DoD), develops and maintains security standards that outline how a government organization should protect its most sensitive information.
For organizations that contract Cloud Service Providers (CSP) for payroll, document generation, and other processes, the DoD Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (SRG) serves as the baseline security standard to assess the security posture for a cloud service offering (CSO), which supports the choice to grant a provisional authorization (PA) to host DoD missions. The SRG also details what to look for when selecting a CSP. This is where Impact Level 4 (IL4) comes into play.
In this blog post, we will delve into the significance of DoD IL4, what to look for in an IL4-authorized Cloud Service Provider (CSP), and how it can help protect your organization's most sensitive information.
What is DoD Impact Level 4 (IL4)?
Superseding the previously published DoD Cloud Security Model (CSM), and mapped to the DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF), the DoD IL4 is a security standard for non-classified information that requires a higher level of protection than Impact Level 2 (IL2).
According to Section 3.1.2 (Page 18) of the Cloud Computing SRG, IL4 accommodates Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), as well as other mission-critical data, including military personnel information in HR forms, health records, and system access forms. The CUI Registry provides specific categories of information that are under protection by the Executive branch.
There are 20 category groupings in the CUI category list, such as:
- Privacy (e.g., military personnel records, health information)
- Financial (e.g., bank secrecy, budget)
- Critical infrastructure (e.g., energy)
- Defense (e.g., naval nuclear propulsion)
- Export Control (e.g., Export Administration Regulations (EAR) restrictions for items on the Commerce Control List, or International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions for items on the US Munitions List)
- Intelligence (e.g., Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act)
- Law enforcement (e.g., criminal history records, accident investigations)
- And more
What is DoD Impact Level 4 (IL4)?
Superseding the previously published DoD Cloud Security Model (CSM), and mapped to the DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF), the DoD IL4 is a security standard for non-classified information that requires a higher level of protection than Impact Level 2 (IL2).
According to Section 3.1.2 (Page 18) of the Cloud Computing SRG, IL4 accommodates Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), as well as other mission-critical data, including military personnel information in HR forms, health records, and system access forms. The CUI Registry provides specific categories of information that are under protection by the Executive branch.
There are 20 category groupings in the CUI category list, such as:
- Privacy (e.g., military personnel records, health information)
- Financial (e.g., bank secrecy, budget)
- Critical infrastructure (e.g., energy)
- Defense (e.g., naval nuclear propulsion)
- Export Control (e.g., Export Administration Regulations (EAR) restrictions for items on the Commerce Control List, or International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions for items on the US Munitions List)
- Intelligence (e.g., Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act)
- Law enforcement (e.g., criminal history records, accident investigations)
- And more
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, choosing the right IL4-authorized Cloud Service Provider (CSP) is essential for ensuring the protection of sensitive mission data. When selecting the CSP for document generation, Inkit has been certified to comply with all IL-4 security controls, including data residency, US persons requirements, experience with the government cloud, commitment to security, and transparency. When it comes to secure DocGen, trust Inkit to safeguard your organization's most sensitive information.
Find Inkit on AppExchange today, or contact us with any questions. Trusted by the US Air Force, DoD, and top institutions where privacy and security matter most.
