Cross-Domain Command & Control with SaltStack Enterprise

Cross-Domain Solutions (CDS) allow an isolated critical network to exchange information with others, without introducing the security threat that normally comes from direct network connectivity. Basically, these systems perform deep inspection of the content traversing security domains. For instance, when data travels from a high security domain to low security domain, we’re predominantly worried about preventing information leaks. We don’t want any information to end up on the lower security domains where it doesn’t belong. Conversely, when information travels from a low security domain to a high security domain, we want to make sure that we don’t pass up any malicious code that would infect our critical domains.

So, how can we administer systems across disconnected networks when we want to keep them disconnected? SaltStack to the rescue! We can insert a Cross-Domain Solution in between the SaltStack Enterprise operations framework and the disconnected Salt masters within the enclave networks. The SaltStack Enterprise communication is uniquely well-suited for this type of application, and will allow administration traffic to be proxied through the inspection devices and flow across the organization without introducing the large attack surface of direct network connectivity.