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The Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry continues to attract advanced threat actors. KPMG reports that attackers often set sights on valuable CAD designs and other sensitive intellectual property, highlighting how crucial R&D data and engineering assets have become prime targets in this sector. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are becoming increasingly sophisticated, while multinational collaboration adds layers of complexity with regulatory, contractual, and export control requirements. Managing sensitive data manually is no longer practical, especially when programs span multiple countries, involve hundreds of companies, and require thousands of personnel to exchange terabytes of sensitive information – a challenge faced by A&D organizations worldwide.Â
With so many moving parts, organizations need solutions that protect critical data, ensure compliance, and support operational efficiency, all without slowing down collaboration or innovation.Â
The Challenge of Securing Global Collaboration
Large scale A&D programs are inherently complex. Teams across different countries, organizations, and departments must share sensitive data while adhering to various rules, licenses, and regulations. Manual security procedures for interpreting policies, labeling information, and managing access are time-consuming, prone to error, and inconsistent.Â
One example that illustrates the scale and complexity of such collaborations is the F-35 Lightning II Program, with nine partner nations coordinating engineering, manufacturing, and testing efforts across multiple teams. This underscores the need for automated, scalable solutions that safeguard intellectual property while enabling efficient collaboration.
Introduction to Information Labeling and Handling (ILH)
To address these challenges, the Transglobal Secure Collaboration Program (TSCP) developed the Information Labeling and Handing (ILH) specification version 1, along with leading A&D companies, government agencies, and technology vendors. ILH translates complex, human-readable policies into structured Business Authorizations, which are aggregated into Business Context Specific Protection Profiles (BCSPPs). These profiles define exactly how sensitive information should be handled and who can access it.Â
The Business Authorization Identification and Labeling Scheme (BAILS) adds a metadata layer to allow systems to automatically identify, tag, and enforce policies across different IT environments. These tools provide a consistent, reliable approach to securing information, even in complex, multinational programs.
Functional Components of ILH
ILH operationalizes security through several key technical elements:Â
- Document Management Access Control Profile: Maps BCSPP business authorizations to different types of access control mechanisms, including traditional access control lists (ACL), role-based access control (RBAC) and attribute-based access control (ABAC) models to enforce access within document management systems.Â
- Rights Management Profile: Provides persistent protection on unstructured data that are downloaded to desktops, email, and beyond, controlling sharing, printing, and duplication based on predefined policy.Â
- Visual Marking and Security Metadata: Standardizes labeling across organizations and tools, reducing errors and streamlining workflows.Â
For a deeper understanding of how ILH integrates policy, labeling, access control, and rights management across organizations, read the full white paper.Â
Aligning Security Across Diverse Organizations
Every organization has its own systems, tools, and IT maturity. ILH allows each company to adopt solutions that fit their environment while still ensuring integration across different systems. Organizations can combine procedural and automated controls based on their capabilities, ensuring secure collaboration without enforcing a one-size-fits-all solution.Â
A Framework for Sustainable and Secure Sharing
By unifying best-of-breed technologies into a standards-based framework, ILH enables organizations to protect intellectual property, streamline collaboration, and accelerate innovation. While designed for A&D, the principles of ILH are applicable to any industry sharing sensitive information across organizational boundaries.Â
ILH demonstrates that secure global collaboration is achievable without sacrificing usability or efficiency. By bridging policy, technology, and operational workflows, it provides a practical, end-to-end solution for protecting sensitive information. Â
