Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and Rivada Space Networks Outernet
A Blueprint for Secure Connectivity in Air-Gapped Environments
In the modern threat landscape, Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and Defense organizations face a paradox: the physical "air gap" required for maximum security is increasingly incompatible with the need for real-time telemetry, threat intelligence updates, and remote management. Traditional methods of maintaining these gaps—physical media transfers or "SneakerNets"—introduce high operational latency and human-error vulnerabilities. Existing LEO satellite solutions do not fully solve this, as they still rely on terrestrial ground stations and the public internet, which compromises security and adds latency.
This white paper presents a new model for air-gapped connectivity. By integrating Cisco 8000 series secure routers running a modern SDN solution with Rivada's Outernet—a LEO constellation optimized for private networks—organizations can establish a controlled electronic air gap. This innovative approach uses Rivada's private, space-based, and laser linked mesh network to provide a secure, low-latency transport that bypasses the public internet, while Cisco secure routers at the edges provide the policy-driven automation and security to manage this critical connection.
Critical National Infrastructure Industry Use Cases
Healthcare: High-Availability Core for Life-Critical Data
Energy Sector: Securing Industrial Control Systems (ICS)
Defense & Government: Sovereign Global Telemetry
By leveraging this integrated solution, Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and Defense organizations can finally move past the trade-off between connectivity and security. They can achieve global operational efficiency and real-time data visibility without ever compromising the "gold standard" of network isolation. In an era of increasing terrestrial vulnerability, the Cisco-Rivada framework ensures that your most sensitive data doesn't just travel across the world—it travels above it.