LynxClient

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	The LynxClient is a facility-wide, network based, duress and emergency notification application. Emergency alarms are able to instantly alert individual workstations with `PopUps`, text messages, pagers and email. Please note that there is no specific product page for this technology and thus the vendor webpage is used in its place.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v22.11
Decision Date:	11/22/2022
Aliases:	LynxComPro
Introduced By:	SCCM
Vendor Name:	Micro Technology Services

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
8.0.x
9.0.x
10.0.x	10/23/2013
10.0.26.x	11/22/2013
10.0.27.x	02/10/2014
10.0.28.x	03/14/2014
10.0.29.x	04/11/2014
10.0.30.x	05/19/2014
10.0.31.x	05/20/2014
10.1.x	06/02/2014
10.1.1.x	07/31/2014
10.1.2.x	09/17/2014
10.1.3.x	11/07/2014
10.2.x	06/05/2015
10.3.x	03/01/2017
10.4.x

Current Decision Matrix (11/08/2022)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2022

CY2023

CY2024

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

8.0.x

Unapproved

9.0.x

Unapproved

10.0.x

Unapproved

10.0.26.x

Unapproved

10.0.27.x

Unapproved

10.0.28.x

Unapproved

10.0.29.x

Unapproved

10.0.30.x

Unapproved

10.0.31.x

Unapproved

10.1.x

Unapproved

10.1.1.x

Unapproved

10.1.2.x

Unapproved

10.1.3.x

Unapproved

10.2.x

Unapproved

10.3.x

Divest
[1, 7, 8]

Unapproved

10.4.x

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 7, 8]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 7, 9]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 9, 10]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[2]	Due to the nature of this software and its purpose in the VA environment, it is critical that the locations of these alarms be accurate. This is a large personnel safety and security concern. Therefore, it is recommended that special attention is placed in the ability of the users to modify the Alarm Locations and either of the following recommendations adopted in the form of documented procedures (SOP).

[3]	Due to the nature of this software and its purpose in the VA environment, it is critical that the locations of these alarms be accurate. This is a large personnel safety and security concern. Therefore, users must have the ability to modify the Alarm Locations and either of the following recommendations adopted in the form of documented procedures (SOP).

[4]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[5]	Users must ensure that Microsoft .NET Framework is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[6]	Configuration baseline and deployment standards for this technology that are maintained by Infrastructure Operations in ITOPS must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted. See the reference section for more information. Users must ensure that Microsoft .NET Framework is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[7]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[8]	Configuration implementation and deployment standards for this technology that are maintained by Infrastructure Operations in ITOPS must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted. See the reference section for more information. Users must ensure that Microsoft .NET Framework is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[9]	Users must ensure that Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) This technology requires using a Universal Service Bus (USB) technology to transfer data into the records. As such, proper precautions need to be taken to protect data. This technology should not be used with VideoLAN Client (VLC) Media Player, as it is unapproved at this time.

[10]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

Note:

At the time of writing. version 10.4.7.0 is the most current version released.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
LynxIcon	LynxIcon Desktop activated alerts via an Icon. The LynxIcon can send instantly or pending, to allow end user to add additional information prior to sending the notification.
LynxKey	LynxKey supports up to three two-key combinations alarms that operate when the user is logged in to the PC.
LynxKeyPro	LynxKeyPro supports up to three two-key combinations and works logged in, logged out or locked (PC must be powered on).
LynxMessenger	LynxMessenger allows a PC to receive a popup notification when an alarm is activated.
LynxMessengerPro	LynxMessengerPro allows a PC to receive text only popups while logged out or locked.
LynxUSB	LynxUSB supports latching and momentary panic buttons. The latching buttons will remain in the alarmed position until they are reset with a button reset tool. LynxUSB works if a user is logged in, logged out or locked.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Systems Management Operations Management	Emergency Management

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

macOS - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Server - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a mature technology.
At the time of writing, no National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities had been reported and no VA Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) bulletins had been issued for the latest versions of this technology.
This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include communicating facility-wide emergency notifications and emergency information.
This is a widely adopted technology and VA has an implementation standard for this solution.

Adoption Risks

This technology involves the use Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections and proper security precautions must be taken when used.
This technology can optionally use VideoLAN Client (VLC) Media Player, an unapproved technology.
The potential exists to store Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data and proper security standards must be followed in these cases.
There are other approved solutions that provide similar functionality available on the TRM. The use of several similar solutions may increase organization requirements for support and maintenance.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-approved operating systems.
This technology is compatible with virtual machines, therefore consistent with the enterprise Server Virtualize First Policy (VAIQ 7266972 08-27-2012).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 23.5

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (11/08/2022)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

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Architectural Benefits

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VA Technical Reference Model v 23.5

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (11/08/2022)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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