DISA BCAP Connection for Salesforce: What this Milestone Means for Defense Agencies

The U.S. Department of Defense has one of the largest stores of sensitive data in the world. Protecting that data and equipping its people to make better decisions faster are top priorities. We take data protection seriously at Salesforce, and have worked hard to meet the government’s robust security standards to keep our nation safe.

For example, Government Cloud Plus – Defense, our physically isolated, dedicated instance of the Salesforce Platform, provides new possibilities for innovation while meeting stringent compliance certifications, such as FedRAMP High, Department of Defense Impact Level 4 (IL4), and Impact Level 5 (IL5). This gives DoD mission owners secure access to services to store and process highly sensitive data. 

Now, we’re pleased to share that with the DISA BCAP connection, defense organizations can increase IT flexibility and safeguard sensitive data – all within a secure cloud.

What does this milestone mean for DoD customers? We sat down with Salesforce Principal Cyber Security Architect Stephen Pipino, who explains what the BCAP connection means for defense organizations and how it helps enhance security.

What is Salesforce Government Cloud Plus – Defense?

Government Cloud Plus – Defense is a dedicated SaaS and PaaS environment that helps DoD organizations scale and secure modern apps. All while meeting compliance certifications such as FedRAMP High and up to DoD Impact Level 5 (IL5), as defined by DoD’s Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (CC SRG).

Since 2019, Salesforce has been offering PaaS and SaaS products authorized to DoD IL4 and connected to the DISA BCAP. Now, Government Cloud Plus – Defense is built on Hyperforce architecture and meets up to DoD IL5 authorization, providing even greater security, privacy, and availability to help defense organizations innovate at the speed of mission.

What is DoD Impact Level 5 (IL5)?

DoD Impact Level 5 is the highest unclassified data security standard in the U.S. Achieving DoD IL5 means that Salesforce has met a stringent set of security requirements designed to protect DoD Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Unclassified National Security Information (U-NSI) data within cloud environments. Specifically, that means that Salesforce cloud services are physically isolated from non-defense workloads and can be trusted to support the most demanding and sensitive unclassified government missions. 

Meeting the stringent security controls required for IL5 can be a difficult process. Salesforce can help DoD organizations meet these requirements by providing continuous monitoring, advanced access controls, data encryption, and other security protocols.

What is a BCAP connection?

A Boundary Cloud Access Point (BCAP) provides secure and private access to services that aren’t on the public internet from the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN). This secure gateway effectively allows Salesforce Government Cloud Plus – Defense to operate as an extension of DoD’s Non-Classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet) so that user traffic doesn’t traverse the public internet.

Why is a BCAP connection important?

DoD mission owners must have both authorization and a secure connection to use cloud services. For Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) or Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings, the mission owner must complete a lengthy process to connect to the DISN. By contrast, SaaS removes the largest share of the burden from mission owners and allows them to focus on what matters most – their core mission. This engineering accomplishment supports the DoD’s mission readiness. Additionally, it enables DoD personnel to use modern cloud technologies, AI and no-code tools to improve user experiences, adaptability, and operational effectiveness, all while maintaining high levels of security and compliance.

The BCAP connection is a key enabler to providing scalable, flexible, and secure cloud capabilities to DoD customers to support their critical missions and operations.

What does BCAP connection mean for DoD customers?

For our DoD customers, our connection to the DISA BCAP means they can confidently use Salesforce’s cloud solutions to manage their most sensitive unclassified data and critical operations that require DoD IL4 or DoD IL5 compliance. 

This partnership with DISA also opens up new possibilities for innovation and efficiency. When apps are disconnected and slow to evolve, defense organizations experience decreased readiness, as well as security and cost challenges. Now, U.S. defense organizations can more easily modernize their IT, get more out of legacy systems, and take advantage of the latest innovations.

What is unique about Salesforce’s BCAP connection?

As a multi-tenant Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS), Salesforce only needs to establish one BCAP connection for all of our DoD customers on Salesforce Government Cloud Plus – Defense. This means that all of our DoD customers benefit from this centralized effort to manage cloud access.

How does Salesforce continue to build trust for DoD customers?

Achieving the BCAP connection with our IL5 environment is a significant milestone, but it’s just one part of our ongoing commitment to security and trust. What’s next? 

Salesforce is dedicated to investing in security infrastructure, working closely with regulatory bodies, and helping the DoD maximize opportunities for digital transformation with PaaS and SaaS innovation. We’re excited about the opportunities this creates for our customers and will continue to support their missions with secure and innovative cloud solutions.

Learn more

To see how Salesforce helps defense and intelligence organizations deliver on the mission quickly and securely visit our Public Sector resources.

For additional information, visit Salesforce Government Cloud and for a complete list of compliances, see Salesforce Compliance.