Smart & secure: AI powered reliable data transfer for air gapped networks
By: Choudhary, Pravin K. and Nandani, Heli
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Material type: 
BookPublisher: ISTM Journal of Training Research and Governance Description: 5(2), Jan, 2025: p.35-48.Subject(s): Air-gap, Malwares, Data diode, Out-of-band acknowledgment, Cyber security, UBA user behavior analytics],Network behavior analytics NBA, AI artificial intelligence, Neural networks
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ISTM Journal of Training Research and GovernanceSummary: Government agencies rely on air-gapped networks to protect sensitive data by physically isolating private systems from the internet. While this enhances security, it creates a challenge: transferring data securely for essential operations such as software updates, security patches, and email exchanges. Attackers have exploited this gap using malware that stealthily moves data across networks, posing a serious threat to critical infrastructure. Various methods, including USB-based transfers, unidirectional diodes, and multi-layered security protocols, are used to facilitate data transfer, but each comes with its own risks and limitations. This paper examines these existing approaches and their challenges, highlighting the vulnerabilities they introduce. It then proposes a secure and automated solution that ensures reliable and guaranteed data transfer without human intervention. Additionally, the paper explores the role of AI-driven models in detecting insider threats and preventing data theft or leakage through user behavior analytics, strengthening cybersecurity for national critical infrastructure. The term "air-gap" refers to a security mechanism that prevents unwanted access and safeguards sensitive data. It entails physically removing computer networks from the internet and insecure local networks. There is no direct link between the air-gapped and public networks. The major challenge faced by air-gap networks is data transfer across air-gap networks. The air gapped- networks need internet connectivity for various reasons like firmware/software upgrades, software installations, OS patches, virtual patching of zero-day vulnerabilities, datasets downloading for research purposes, email MTA connection with public MTAs, data sharing of internal networks with academia, industry etc. Hence, as it could be seen that there is a need for data transfer from Public Internet to Private Network and viceversa. It can be conclusively established that data transfer across air-gap networks is imminent and thus, there is a need to develop a mechanism for data transfer across air-gap mechanisms in a secure way. One of the widely used methods is USB based data transfer across air-gap networks. The USB devices are connected to the endpoints of both the networks to facilitate data transfer between the two networks. But USB based data transfer via manual intervention suffers from major security flaws. Due to manual data transfer, 1.0. Introduction. Reproduced
https://www.istm.gov.in/home/istm_journal/386
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Articles
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Indian Institute of Public Administration | 5(2), Jan, 2025: p.35-48 | Available | AR137311 |
Government agencies rely on air-gapped networks to protect sensitive data by physically isolating private systems from the internet. While this enhances security, it creates a challenge: transferring data securely for essential operations such as software updates, security patches, and email exchanges. Attackers have exploited this gap using malware that stealthily moves data across networks, posing a serious threat to critical infrastructure. Various methods, including USB-based transfers, unidirectional diodes, and multi-layered security protocols, are used to facilitate data transfer, but each comes with its own risks and limitations. This paper examines these existing approaches and their challenges, highlighting the vulnerabilities they introduce. It then proposes a secure and automated solution that ensures reliable and guaranteed data transfer without human intervention. Additionally, the paper explores the role of AI-driven models in detecting insider threats and preventing data theft or leakage through user behavior analytics, strengthening cybersecurity for national critical infrastructure. The term "air-gap" refers to a security mechanism that prevents unwanted access and safeguards sensitive data. It entails physically removing computer networks from the internet and insecure local networks. There is no direct link between the air-gapped and public networks. The major challenge faced by air-gap networks is data transfer across air-gap networks. The air gapped- networks need internet connectivity for various reasons like firmware/software upgrades, software installations, OS patches, virtual patching of zero-day vulnerabilities, datasets downloading for research purposes, email MTA connection with public MTAs, data sharing of internal networks with academia, industry etc. Hence, as it could be seen that there is a need for data transfer from Public Internet to Private Network and viceversa. It can be conclusively established that data transfer across air-gap networks is imminent and thus, there is a need to develop a mechanism for data transfer across air-gap mechanisms in a secure way. One of the widely used methods is USB based data transfer across air-gap networks. The USB devices are connected to the endpoints of both the networks to facilitate data transfer between the two networks. But USB based data transfer via manual intervention suffers from major security flaws. Due to manual data transfer, 1.0. Introduction. Reproduced
https://www.istm.gov.in/home/istm_journal/386
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