What is CSfC?
The NSA CSfC program, formally known as Commercial Solutions for Classified, secures classified data using a dual-layer commercial security architecture that deploys far faster than traditional Type 1 systems. By leveraging two independent commercial security components, the NSA’s CSfC program provides an approved alternative to government-off-the-shelf (GOTS) Type 1 encryption, enabling organizations to field secure systems in months instead of years.
CHALLENGE
Minimize cost and development time while deploying advanced, military-grade security at the tactical edge
SOLUTION
A new approach to securing data-at-rest: layer two or more independent commercial security components with CSfC security solutions that leverage modular design and technology reuse to reduce program cost and expedite development of mission-critical capabilities to the field.
Leverage Capability Packages
CSfC Capability Packages (CPs) provide NSA-defined requirements for building secure, layered solutions using approved commercial components. For Data-at-Rest (DAR), this includes integrating independent inner and outer layers of hardware and software encryption to meet CSfC’s dual-layer security architecture.
Control Access to Critical Data
Control access to classified data with full-disk AES-256 hardware encryption, multi-factor authentication, and flexible key management. Mercury’s trusted hardware and validated algorithms meet the highest standards for CSfC-aligned data protection.
Protect Mission-Critical Systems
Protect mission-critical systems even in compromised environments with rapid key purge, fast erase, sanitization, and configurable self-destruct protocols that render data forensically unrecoverable in milliseconds.
THE MERCURY ADVANTAGE
BUILT-IN SECURITY
Confidently deploy mission-critical technology with physical and cybersecurity protection, built in, not bolted on.
COTS TECHNOLOGY
Reduce development time and expense with purpose-built products using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology.
MODULAR DESIGN
Increase tech-insertion speed and lower program risk with proven, modular, open-standards designs.
INTEROPERABLE PROCESSORS
Scalable Xeon, GPU, FPGA for compute power
BUILTSECURE PROCESSING
Protect Your Critical Data and IP
Our BuiltSECURE™ servers and embedded processing subsystems maintain your data integrity with built-in secure processing technologies.
TRUSTED MANUFACTURING
Security Without Compromise
Minimize your risk to back doors, counterfeits and Trojans. BuiltSECURE™ products are designed and manufactured in trusted IPC-1791-certified and DMEA-accredited facilities mitigating opportunities for tampering.
DISCOVER MORE
CSfC stands for Commercial Solutions for Classified. Mercury views this program as a transformative alternative to traditional "government-off-the-shelf" (GOTS) Type 1 security, protecting classified data using modern commercial technologies.
The CSfC certification refers to a multi-stage validation process commercial products must undergo to be listed on the NSA CSfC Components List. This status signifies that a product is technically qualified for use in layered security architectures protecting National Security Systems (NSS) data.
The difference between Type 1 and CSfC lies in the approach to securing data. Type 1 solutions represent the traditional "gold standard" for national security, utilizing Government-Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) hardware. While the Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) program provides an alternative by leveraging Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technologies in “defense-in-depth" architecture.