AA-C2786 and Class 5 IPS Containers:

It Doesn’t Have to Be Hard to Protect Your Hardware

                Computer security is one of the most important considerations for any company or agency today; whether in the office, warehouse, work space or mobile environment. It is doubly-important with it comes to securing government (local/state/federal) hardware and data. Hard drives and network servers are often required to be located in secure areas and in secure containers.  That’s why the Federal Government and the General Services Administration (GSA) came out with Federal Specification AA-C-2786 which covers the security requirements for un-insulated storage cabinets containing information processing systems (IPS), commonly referred to as IPS Containers.

                The scope of Federal Specification AA-C-2786 is about making sure that the un-insulated cabinets are designed to conform to the standards for physical security as set forth in the Information Security Oversight Office Directive No. 1. That directive covers the governing classification, declassification, downgrading and safeguarding of national security information. The specification is mainly concerned with how the cabinets are constructed, the materials used and how strong they are against different types of forced entry.

                The specification details the class, type and style of the approved cabinet designs.

                The cabinets are Class 5 and should be resistant to the following kinds of forced entry:

                20 man-hours of surreptitious entry

                30 man-minutes of covert entry

                10 man-minutes of forced entry

                There are two basic styles that the cabinets must conform to; Style A which has a channel base assembly and Style B which does not. The specification also requires a combination lock which must abide by Federal Specification FF-L-2740. The following Federal Specifications also play a part in the cabinet design; TT-C-490, PPP-B-621, PPP-B-585, PPP-B-1055, FED-STD-123 and FED-STD-595.

                The specification also covers the materials used in construction; such as the type of steel used, the face hardware, enamel/lacquer, the plating/coating and the painting finish. The specification is very through; it also covers everything from the weight of the cabinet to the door handles.

                A complete read-out of the specification can be found here.

                We’re doing this series on federal specifications because we want customers to be well-informed, not just about our products but also about the rules, regulations and standards that can affect your purchases; especially if you represent the government or a government contractor.

                Here at www.safeandvault.com we have GSA approved Class 5 IPS Containers with X-09 Locks. These models can fulfill the needs of the specification and the prices won’t break the bank. The IPS 30-39-24 is meant for the storage of SIPRNET or NIPRNET communications/computer equipment as well as network servers and encryption devices.  Our IPS 54-39-24 is a container that can accommodate 47 1/8” of rackmount equipment, servers, switches, crypto equipment and a variety of Cisco® products - it comes with your choice of an X-09 or S&G 2749 digital combination lock. The IPS 54-45-24 is meant for oversized equipment and can comfortably fit several servers and also comes with your choice of lock.  Our IPS 23-36-19 is a small, mobile unit which is meant for small routers, switches, encryption equipment. Laptops and net/note books.

                Hardware security is no joke and if you’re working with the government, having the proper equipment can be mean the difference between getting that contract and explaining to your coworkers why you’ll be looking elsewhere for opportunities. We want you to be prepared for anything that might come your way and that means we supply our customers with knowledge as well as great products.