ADAPTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES (AIS)

Secure high-value users and assets outside of your enterprise network

Professional threat actors actively target high-value users and assets within enterprise networks, often spending months infiltrating systems through malware and other advanced techniques. Once they gain access and establish control, these attackers disrupt operations and threaten to sell stolen data if their ransom demands are not met.

The time to act is now. Protect your users and assets with ISS by migrating your most vulnerable users, applications, and data to Smart Citadel. This HADDFA business supercomputer is housed within its own Vault at one of our fortified Clandestine Sites, delivering unmatched physical security and processing power.

Clandestine Sites are safeguarded by on-site security teams equipped with real-time intelligence and surveillance feeds, all managed from our joint operations centers by C5ISR command and control specialists. This comprehensive, multi-layered security framework guarantees the continuous protection of your data and physical infrastructure.

Act now to Secure high-value users and assets before it’s too late.

Why Choose Metro Access Networks?

We put the "Ring" back in Telecom: The only carrier powered by a Ring based HADDFA Supercomputer

We were part of the telecom evolution from the start, when the industry was defined by switches, modems, and traditional phone service. As innovators during the Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) era, we launched the first all-fiber optic network with SONET rings and built the world’s longest FDDI network in Texas. After our acquisition by Brooks Fiber, we expanded nationally, enabling our team to pioneer advanced IP switching infrastructures. Following a merger with Worldcom, we played a key role in driving the commercialization of the global internet.

In 2015, the core members of the original team reunited to develop a carrier-grade infrastructure powered by the HADDFA supercomputing platform, utilizing the cutting-edge L2Labs "Concentric Ring Topology". This innovative architecture provides exceptional efficiency, reliability, and scalability for data processing, establishing a new standard in high-performance, AI-driven telecommunications.

Hide in Plain Sight

IT organizations are at a critical juncture, continuously overwhelmed by an increasingly sophisticated and ever-evolving threat landscape. Zero-day vulnerabilities and rapidly changing attack vectors leave critical resources exposed, while IT teams scramble to patch holes and respond to breaches. In this chaotic environment, relying solely on traditional defense strategies within the enterprise is no longer enough. The true path to resilience lies in operating from the shadows—adopting a mindset and strategy where you remain as concealed and elusive as the threat actors targeting your organization. By operating in the shadows, you can stay hidden from attackers, anticipating their moves before they even make them, and fortifying your defenses in ways that are invisible to those who seek to compromise your systems. It’s no longer about just defending from within; it’s about being as stealthy, proactive, and elusive as those who would do you harm.

What is a Clandestine Site?

Hide in Plain Sight: Understand why Stealth deters Threat Actors

Metro Access "Clandestine Sites (CS)" are highly secure, globally distributed supercomputing centers purpose-built to host "Smart Citadels". Each CS is strategically positioned worldwide and engineered to provide unparalleled protection for your most sensitive information. Featuring a resilient and undetectable network infrastructure, these sites minimize vulnerabilities and ensure uninterrupted business operations.

Adaptive Infrastructure, AI Powered

Corporations managing high-value users (HVUs) and high-value assets (HVAs) require a “secure, hardened infrastructure” that is “dedicated, not shared,” ensuring maximum protection and operational integrity. The Smart Citadel features a supercomputing array designed with a highly adaptive, distributed data flow architecture, including dedicated network, compute, and storage nodes, which delivers exceptional flexibility. This fully enclosed system supports limitless configurations tailored to your organization’s specific needs, providing robust performance while safeguarding critical assets in a secure, self-contained environment built exclusively for your business.

What is a Smart Citadel?

Smart Infrastructure: Discover how a tailored solution can elevate your business performance.

The Metro Access Smart Citadel (SC) is a specialized supercomputing array designed to deliver infrastructure services for high-value targets and assets. Strategically positioned at key global locations, each Smart Citadel ensures unmatched protection for your most sensitive data through a resilient and discreet network architecture. This design minimizes vulnerabilities, safeguards operational continuity, and maintains business integrity. By isolating high-value targets and assets within a Smart Citadel, your organization benefits from unparalleled data privacy, uninterrupted operations, and ultimate peace of mind.

Never Trust Always Verify

Threat actors use a combination of social engineering, phishing, malware, and stolen credentials sourced from the dark web to establish an initial foothold within an organization’s network. Once inside, these organized groups conduct thorough reconnaissance, scanning the network for high-value targets (HVTs) such as executives, administrators, or IT personnel who have privileged access to critical systems. By identifying individuals with weak or vulnerable accounts, attackers can execute account takeovers (ATOs), which provide them with the means to escalate their access and move laterally across the network. This lateral movement ultimately allows them to bypass multiple layers of security, giving them control over high-value assets (HVAs) such as sensitive data, intellectual property, and key operational systems. Through this approach, threat actors can maintain stealthy, sustained access to the organization’s core resources, maximizing potential damage and disruption.

What is a Threat Actor?

There are Seven Types of Threat Actors: each with unique motivations and tactics to disrupt your business

A threat actor is an individual or group intent on breaching or compromising system and data security. These actors generally fall into seven categories: cybercriminals, state-sponsored agents (e.g., NSA), hacktivists, insiders, script kiddies, organized cyber gangs, and cyberterrorists. They use tactics like data theft, phishing, vulnerability exploitation, and malware deployment to target organizations, disrupt operations, and carry out account takeovers (ATO). Their success often stems from businesses underestimating both the sophistication and scale of these threat actors and their adept use of lateral movement, which leaves many traditional defenses vulnerable in today’s target-rich environments.

What is lateral movement?
Threat actors frequently target high-value individuals within an organization to access high-value assets, as these individuals often have privileged access to sensitive systems, proprietary data, and critical resources. Executives, administrators, and key personnel possess elevated permissions that, if compromised, can grant attackers direct entry to valuable assets without navigating multiple security layers. By breaching the credentials of these high-value targets, attackers can bypass complex defenses designed to protect core assets. Moreover, these individuals often handle sensitive communications, strategic plans, or confidential project information, which attackers can sell or leverage to deepen infiltration. As a result, high-value targets are particularly appealing, as compromising them provides attackers with rapid, stealthy, and potentially far-reaching access to the organization’s high-value assets.

Zero Trust, Maximum Security

Threat actors ultimately seek access to high-value assets because these assets—such as intellectual property, sensitive financial data, trade secrets, or critical infrastructure—are where the true value of an organization lies. These assets can be sold, used to gain financial leverage, or exploited to disrupt business operations, each of which serves the threat actor’s goals, whether monetary, competitive, or ideological. High-value targets, like executives and administrators, serve as a means to this end, as they often have direct or indirect access to these assets. By breaching these targets, attackers can bypass robust defenses that guard the organization’s core assets, moving through the network with greater ease and stealth. Accessing high-value assets allows attackers to inflict maximum financial and operational damage, making these assets the ultimate objective of most cyberattacks.

What is a High-Value Asset?

Mission Critical Applications: Identify which line-of-business (LOB) applications threat actors value most.

Threat actors target high-value assets (HVAs) because they represent the most critical and sensitive components of an organization’s infrastructure, data, and operations. Compromising HVAs—such as proprietary databases, executive credentials, or financial systems—offers attackers substantial leverage, enabling them to extort organizations with threats of data exposure, disruption, or even permanent damage to essential systems. High-value assets often contain sensitive data or support core functions that are essential to the business, making them attractive due to the significant impact their compromise can have on an organization's financial stability, reputation, and operational continuity. Since HVAs are usually well-protected, breaching them demonstrates a high level of skill and can command greater ransom demands or further an attacker’s goal of data theft or espionage. For these reasons, securing HVAs is a top priority, as a successful breach can lead to cascading consequences across the entire enterprise network.

Always Vigilant, Always Prepared

Threat actors often target high-value individuals within an organization as a means to gain access to high-value assets because these individuals typically have privileged access to sensitive systems, proprietary data, and other critical resources. Executives, administrators, and other key personnel usually have elevated permissions that, if compromised, can provide attackers with a direct route to valuable assets without the need to exploit multiple layers of security. By breaching the credentials of a high-value user, threat actors can bypass complex defenses that would otherwise protect core assets. Additionally, these users often handle critical business communications, strategic plans, or confidential project information, which can either be sold or used to further infiltrate the organization. This makes high-value users an appealing choice for attackers, as compromising them enables rapid, stealthy, and potentially far-reaching access to the organization’s most valuable assets.

What is a High-Value User?

Not all users are equal: Identify who is most valuable to threat actors.

High-value users possess a unique combination of authority, access, or sensitive information, making them prime targets for threat actors. Compromising these individuals provides attackers with significant leverage, allowing them to exploit vulnerabilities and gain deeper access within the organization. By evaluating factors such as access to critical information, decision-making authority, specialized expertise, system and network access, external relationships, and susceptibility to social engineering, you can identify high-value targets and strengthen protections, monitoring, and management around them.

Identify your High-Value Users

Relocate your High Value Users into a Smart Citadel within a Clandestine Site so they are inaccessible to Threat Actors

Chief Executive Officer

The CEO has access to sensitive corporate strategy, financial plans, and communication with board members, which attackers can exploit for financial manipulation, insider information, or reputational damage.

Chief Financial Officer

The CFO manages the company’s finances, including budgets, investments, and payment approvals, making them a prime target for financial fraud, account takeover, or data theft related to corporate finances.

Chief Communications Officer

The Chief Communications Officer (CCO) oversees the company’s public image and manages stakeholder relationships, which are vital for effective communication. If compromised threat actors can issue false press releases, which can damage the company’s reputation.

Chief Human Resources Officer

The CHRO oversees access to employee records, payroll, benefits information, and sensitive personal data. This information can be used for identity theft, social engineering, and insider threats.

Chief Legal Officer

These CLO handles sensitive legal documents, regulatory compliance data, and intellectual property protections. Accessing these accounts can expose confidential legal strategies, risk assessments, and compliance issues.

Board of Directors

Board members have access to high-level strategic and financial information. Attackers can leverage this information to gain insider knowledge, manipulate stock prices, or influence corporate decisions.

Executive Assistant

Often overlooked, executive assistants have extensive access to executive schedules, communications, and sensitive documents, which can be used to launch impersonation attacks or gain insights into confidential strategies.

Chief Information Officer

The CIO oversees IT strategy, infrastructure, and security protocols. Accessing their account can enable attackers to compromise broader IT systems and gain control of critical data and operations.

Chief Information Security Officer

The CISO is responsible for cybersecurity policies and controls. Compromising their access can provide threat actors insights into security measures and even allow them to disable or bypass certain defenses.

Chief Technology Officer

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) directs technological strategy, promotes innovation, and manages infrastructure, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Breaching the CTO can give threat actors control over critical parts of an organization’s digital ecosystem.

System Administrators

These roles have access to network infrastructure, user accounts, and security settings. They can modify access controls, making them critical targets for attackers aiming to escalate privileges.

Network Administrators

Network Administrators have elevated permissions for routers, switches, and firewalls. If a threat actor gains control of their accounts, they can bypass security, disable alerts, and establish persistent backdoors into your enterprise network.

Development Operations

These roles manage cloud infrastructure and deployment. Attackers with access to cloud resources can breach applications and storage, leading to significant data breaches.

Database Administrators

DBAs control access to and maintenance of critical databases, including customer data, proprietary information, and operational data. A compromised DBA account can provide attackers with large volumes of sensitive data.

Discover the Capabilities of Adaptive Infrastructure Services

Metro Access Networks provides a complete range of adaptive infrastructure services, all offered at a straightforward flat monthly rate.

Global Clandestine Site Service

Clandestine Sites (CS) are strategically deployed across multiple continents, enabling your company to maintain a secure and compliant infrastructure within the jurisdictions of your choice through our extensive global network. Available in Tier 1, 2, and 3 cities across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, each CS operates in alignment with established global trade agreements, ensuring seamless integration and adherence to local regulations.

Smart Citadel Supercomputing Service

Every Clandestine Site operates within a HADDFA high-performance dedicated supercomputer, equipped with a powerful processor array that supports multiple operating systems and application sets running simultaneously. This advanced setup provides exceptional software-defined networking (SDN) capabilities, ensuring efficient and scalable network management. It also offers robust virtualization support, allowing organizations to create isolated environments for secure testing, development, and deployment. The inclusion of AI language models and machine learning algorithms empowers the system to enhance decision-making, improve automation, and streamline data processing.

Additionally, the supercomputing infrastructure supports high-availability computing, ensuring minimal downtime and optimal performance even during peak demand periods. The integration of advanced cybersecurity features further strengthens the system, providing real-time threat detection, encryption, and protection against sophisticated cyberattacks. Coupled with superior data handling and telecommunications capabilities, the HADDFA supercomputer allows enterprises to process vast amounts of data swiftly while maintaining secure global connectivity. This powerful combination of performance and security makes it an ideal solution for organizations looking to optimize their IT infrastructure while staying ahead of evolving technological demands.

Unified Telecommunications Service

A Clandestine Site provides a comprehensive telecommunications platform built on a private, encrypted network, ensuring seamless and secure global connectivity. This advanced infrastructure gives members access to a range of communication tools, including Voice Over IP (VoIP), secure chat, teleconferencing, video conferencing, and collaboration platforms. The system also supports call center functionalities with features like automatic call distribution, enabling efficient and reliable communication for enterprises.

Beyond basic connectivity, the platform offers significant advantages such as enhanced security through encryption, reducing the risk of data breaches, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations. With dedicated collaboration tools, teams can work across borders in real time, while advanced call routing and distribution systems streamline customer support and internal communications. This robust suite of services enhances operational efficiency, reduces downtime, and offers flexible, secure communication options tailored to an organization's specific needs.

Active Directory Domain Services

Each Ring Level within a Clandestine Site incorporates a robust identity and access management service, utilizing multi-factor authentication to provide secure, single sign-on access to a wide range of global resources. This includes critical services such as Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS), Public Access Web Services (PAWS), DNS, DHCP, SMB, and digital certificates. The system also ensures effective rights management, data replication, federation protocols, and seamless access to the global catalog. These features enhance security by tightly controlling user access, improving data integrity across the network, and streamlining the process of accessing distributed resources globally. Additionally, the multi-layered security framework reduces the risk of unauthorized access, protects against credential theft, and ensures compliance with stringent security standards, offering greater flexibility and control over enterprise-wide resources. By centralizing identity management on a per ring basis, Clandestine Sites can optimize user authentication processes and prevent lateral movement while safeguarding sensitive enterprise data against external and internal threats.

Security Operations Center Service

The Athena Security Operations Center (ASOC), integrated into your Clandestine Site, empowers your High-Value Targets (HVTs) within the IT command structure to maintain secure operational oversight and tactical control of your corporate infrastructure. Utilizing advanced on-site Robotic Process Automation Nodes (RPANs), the ASOC enables a highly coordinated, military-grade command and control environment that can be used in Joint Operations with an Incident Response Team*.

ASOC enhances your teams capacity to execute incident response missions, track asset inventories, analyze critical data, and manage project operations in real-time. This advanced system incorporates specialized tools for firewall defense, network surveillance, and real-time threat detection, ensuring your infrastructure remains fortified, agile, and operationally resilient. The Athena Security Operations Center also supports proactive mission-critical performance monitoring, optimizing efficiency while safeguarding against downtime and tactical disruptions. With centralized control and integrated intelligence, your IT team is equipped with the resources necessary to respond rapidly, neutralize threats, and ensure uninterrupted continuity across your enterprise.

*Must have an IRT service subscription for on-demand integration with the Joint Operations Center.

Storage Area Network Service

Each Clandestine Site is equipped with multiple network data silos that enhance the storage and management of both private and public data within your virtual machines. These silos allow for more efficient and secure data handling, ensuring seamless access and retrieval across remote interfaces. The use of secure protocols such as iSCSI, ZFS, SMB, SATA, SAS, and NTFS provides a reliable and high-performance foundation for file storage. Furthermore, built-in encryption and data segmentation tools enhance data privacy by segregating and protecting sensitive information, reducing the risk of unauthorized access. This multi-layered security approach ensures that data is handled efficiently and securely, while also allowing businesses to meet compliance standards across a variety of industries. Additionally, the ability to scale these silos and protocols easily makes it easier to expand or adjust storage as business needs evolve, offering greater flexibility and operational continuity.

Operating System Virtualization Service

Virtualization services provide a range of benefits that can greatly improve an organization’s IT infrastructure in terms of efficiency, security, and scalability. By creating isolated virtual environments, businesses can enhance security by keeping workloads and data segregated, thus minimizing the risk of cross-contamination from external threats. This isolation also makes it easier to manage and monitor security policies across different virtual machines. The ability to quickly scale resources up or down based on demand, along with simplified provisioning and management of virtual desktops and servers, significantly boosts the agility of IT teams, enabling them to respond faster to changing business needs. Additionally, virtualization simplifies disaster recovery by allowing virtual machines to be easily backed up, restored, or migrated without causing downtime, ensuring business continuity even in the event of an incident. This flexibility and reliability make virtualization an indispensable tool for modern IT infrastructures.

Operating System Containerization Service

With advanced containerization capabilities, virtual desktops, servers, and operating systems can be provisioned within private environments that offer enhanced security, reliability, and complete isolation. These isolated environments are designed to segregate critical elements such as CPU, memory, network, storage, operating systems, and access controls. Containerization ensures that each environment operates independently, providing robust remote access solutions, unique domain and authentication configurations, and full control over each isolated instance, all while maintaining secure and scalable infrastructure.

C5ISR empowers our teams to secure Clandestine Sites and Citadels with the same technology utilized by the Department of Defense.

C5ISR Command and Control Systems enhance our situational awareness and decision-making by delivering real-time data and intelligence to our special operations teams. This ensures we are always well-informed and can respond swiftly to any threats or opportunities.

Our integrated telecommunications network facilitates seamless coordination and collaboration among our team members, leading to more cohesive and effective outcomes.

Relocating HVUs and HVAs to a Smart Citadel within one of our Clandestine Sites will strategically reduce your organization’s attack surface by isolating them within a dedicated, fortified environment.

All Clandestine Sites are safeguarded by our Special Operations Teams, who employ the C5ISR Department of Defense Command and Control Architecture—a robust framework designed to ensure security continuity under the most demanding conditions.

Relocating your high-value targets and assets to a Smart Citadel within a secure, clandestine site allows your IT department to concentrate on endpoints, users, and core enterprise functions. This approach enhances both security and operational efficiency.

We utilize the same Command and Control System as the Department of Defense.

Threat actors are compromising high-value targets (HVUs) within organizations by completely blocking their access to the domain. When domain authentication services are compromised, attackers can restrict or revoke access and administrative privileges, rendering HVUs unable to log in or access essential resources—effectively paralyzing the organization.

Infotech HVUs are key targets because of their vital role in identifying cyber threats and restoring organizational data. As subject matter experts, these high-value users hold access to your most sensitive infrastructure and credentials, making them a primary focus for threat actors seeking deeper infiltration into your enterprise networks and systems.

To address these threats, Metro Access leverages the advanced C5ISR command-and-control architecture relied upon by the Department of Defense. This cutting-edge system surpasses the constraints of traditional cloud-based and off-site solutions, guaranteeing seamless operational continuity and rapid recovery during crises. By isolating high-value users (HVUs) from corporate network vulnerabilities, it significantly reduces attack risks. HVUs can securely perform their responsibilities from a Smart Citadel within a Clandestine Site (CS), ensuring uninterrupted operations even in the face of cyberattacks, natural disasters, or other disruptions.

relocate to a smart citadel and Stop stressing about crisis management

Defend and Restore

Threat actors pose an ever-present risk to businesses. Instead of relying solely on new software or hardware solutions, safeguard your high-value users and assets by relocating them to a Smart Citadel within a secure, heavily protected Clandestine Site. This isolated, fortified infrastructure security service enables your teams to effectively defend and restore operations during crises—shielding them from vulnerabilities and ensuring operational resilience when your enterprise is under attack.

Cyberattacks and Ransom Negotiations in the Fourth Quarter of 2024

Business is Under Attack

Threat Actors extort businesses and governments who are unable to defend their high-value targets and assets by stealing, encrypting, and threatening to leak sensitive data. In 2023, ransomware attacks hit record levels, with a sharp increase in both ransom payments and attack frequency. By mid-2024, the average ransom demand per attack had surpassed $5.2 million.

Is your security robust enough to protect your high-value targets and assets from threat actors?

Adaptive Infrastructure Services (AIS)

Subscribe to our next generation AIS platform to protect your enterprise

Metro Access Adaptive Infrastructure Services are offered through a simple, all-inclusive subscription model—transparent and straightforward, with no hidden fees.

Clandestine Site

Secure Supercomputing Center

^$ 2500 _/Month

Domestic or International

Smart Citadel

Managed Supercomputing Array

^$ 3000 _/Month

Domestic or International

High Value Asset

Managed Application Vault

^$ 1000 _/Month

Domestic or International

A group of people are walking through a network of lines

High Value User

Managed User Vault

^$ 300 _/Month

Domestic or International

Equipment for fiber optic Internet connection

Straitbridge Premises Service

Managed Access Device

^$ 500 _/Month

$1500 NRC for each Site Vector

cyber security concept, Login, User, identification information security and encryption, secure access to user's personal information, secure Internet access, cybersecurity.

Remote User Access

Remote User Securelink Service

^$ 50 _/Month

Local or Remote

Onboarding Steps for Migrating to AIS

Discover how easy it is to transfer your HVUs and HVAs to Metro Access Adaptive Infrastructure Services.

The assessment phase of onboarding to Metro Access Adaptive Infrastructure Service is a comprehensive process designed to evaluate your organization’s unique needs and current security landscape. This step begins with an in-depth analysis of your High-Value Users (HVUs) and High-Value Assets (HVAs), identifying vulnerabilities, dependencies, and performance metrics. Our team collaborates closely with your stakeholders to understand operational goals and compliance requirements, ensuring a tailored approach. By leveraging advanced diagnostic tools and methodologies, we provide a clear roadmap for integrating your assets into our adaptive infrastructure. This critical phase sets the foundation for a seamless transition, enhanced security, and optimized performance.

The service configuration phase of onboarding to Metro Access Adaptive Infrastructure Service focuses on customizing the platform to align with your organization’s specific requirements. During this phase, our experts design and implement the optimal setup for your High-Value Users (HVUs) and High-Value Assets (HVAs) within the adaptive infrastructure. This involves configuring access controls, security protocols, performance parameters, and integration points to ensure seamless interoperability with existing systems. Each configuration is rigorously tested to validate functionality and adherence to compliance standards. By tailoring the service to your operational needs, this phase ensures a robust, secure, and efficient environment for your critical assets.

The hardware installation phase of onboarding to Metro Access Adaptive Infrastructure Service ensures the physical components of your security infrastructure are deployed efficiently and securely. For on-site installations, our team works closely with your personnel to set up, integrate, and test hardware like straitbridge access nodes, sensors, and Robotic Process Automation Nodes, ensuring minimal disruption to daily operations. Off-site installations focus on configuring and deploying remote systems that complement and enhance your infrastructure’s capabilities, such as cloud-connected devices and redundancy solutions. Each installation is meticulously planned and executed, with rigorous testing to verify performance and reliability. This phase guarantees that all hardware components are seamlessly aligned with the Metro Access platform, delivering a robust foundation for your adaptive infrastructure.

The test and acceptance, and go-live phase of onboarding to Metro Access Adaptive Infrastructure Service is the final step to ensure your security infrastructure is fully operational and optimized. During this phase, comprehensive testing is conducted to validate the performance, reliability, and security of all systems, including hardware, software, and network configurations. Our team works closely with your staff to address any issues, fine-tune settings, and confirm compliance with organizational and industry standards. Once all tests are successfully completed, the system is transitioned to live operation, seamlessly integrating into your workflow. This phase marks the culmination of the onboarding process, ensuring your High-Value Users (HVUs) and High-Value Assets (HVAs) are protected and operational within the Metro Access Adaptive Infrastructure.

Contact us now to protect your High-Value Users and Assets

Connect with a support specialist to configure your ISS or explore our online Position Papers for further insights and information.