Intercepts

The N/MCI Subsidy

My well-disguised mole in Navy headquarters reports that the Navy last

week conducted a down-select competition between the four potential prime

Navy/-Marine Corps Intranet vendors. Despite some initial concerns about

at least two of the vendors' pricing schemes, all made the cut, sources

say. Bidding vendors include Computer Sciences Corp., Electronic Data Systems

Inc., General Dynamics and IBM Corp.

However, front-line sources report that the N/MCI vessel was last seen

sinking fast. One source referred to N/MCI as a "massive subsidy" that will

rob Peter (shore installations) to pay Paul (neglected fleet infrastructure).

According to one front-line contracting staffer, the Navy recently issued

a memorandum expressing concern about "contract bundling," such as the large

seat management-like structure of N/MCI.

Sources say the memo discouraged the practice and requires Navy commands

to conduct a business case analysis before they can do similar contracts.

Antenna Adjustment

I've been informed that my DISA listening post may be in need of some

"fine tuning," after I handed the DISA throne to Air Force Lt. Gen. William

Donahue in March 13's column. Sources say he's heading for the First Civ

Div.

I've since deployed a hasty antenna across the top of a tree on Courthouse

Road, using a rock and some slash wire, and have picked up signals that

the Air Force has nominated Maj. Gen Harry Raduege from Space Command as

its DISA-head pick. "This, in fact, makes sense," says one insider, because

Spacecom seems to be taking control of everything but the kitchen sink when

it comes to the Pentagon's computer networks.

Phil, Is That You?

The Army has tapped Phillip Loranger to be its new director of biometrics.

Loranger is known for his staunch support of using biometric security devices.

"Passwords are cool, but passwords are the way we get into systems," said

Loranger, the former chief of the Command and Control Protect Division in

the Army's Information Assurance Office. "Biometrics is you: This is your

finger and nobody else's."

But my mobile subscriber unit reports that one of Phil's first tasks

will be to figure out how to determine if somebody has logged on to an Army

system using a dead finger liberated from the hand of a good guy. Not to

worry Phil, there's plenty of deadwood available inside the Beltway for

experimentation.

NIPRNET, SIPRNET, ZIPPERNET?

My cadre of Potomac River code talkers have deciphered a message from

the front lines of the information assurance battle that is arguing for

the establishment of a ZIPPERNET. The network would once and for all come

to terms with the fact that the SIPRNET and the Joint World Wide Intelligence

Communications System are just as much a part of the bigger network picture

as are the unclassified NIPRNET and Internet. It's all one network, sources

say, adding that entryways and exit channels can be found.

In fact, the Army plans to march the ZIPPERNET idea up to the information

operations community inside "the building" this month.