[December 05, 2005]

Testing Conducted to Prepare for Wireless Communication in Time of National Emergency

By Susan J. Campbell

In a time where national security efforts continue to make headlines and natural disasters disable communications in entire cities, there is a need to establish secure communication alternatives in the event of a national crisis that eliminates the use of traditional communications infrastructure. A test exercise commissioned by the US Department of Homeland Security S&T Directorate and its Cyber Security R&D Center (CSRDC) in partnership with Defense R&D Canada was completed in late October.

The tests, conducted by SRI International, were intended to improve the security of wireless data communications in the public safety, emergency preparedness and law enforcement sectors as well as for use in cross-border situations. Voltage Security, CipherTrust, and Research in Motion/RIM provided the technologies that were assessed in the trial.

The technologies were evaluated under conditions that would be relevant in a time of use with the following objectives sought:

· That the technology could demonstrate encrypted data communications that were commercially available.

· That the technology could be interoperable across borders and infrastructures.

· That the increase in usability of the mobile data did not adversely affect performance.

Two encryption solutions were scrutinized during the trial. The Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) for RIM devices and Voltage Security’s Enterprise Management platform using Identity Base Encryption (IBE). An IronMail appliance from CipherTrust was utilized to provide a secure gateway and automated policy enforcement. Further testing is scheduled for early 2006.

The test proved successful, according to Mazda Salmanian, Leader, Secure Mobile Networking Group at Defense R&D Canada. He was quoted as saying that the test results indicate that wireless electronic communications can successfully occur across borders and throughout various local, state and federal agencies, including first responders. Both the Voltage IBE solution and Research in Motion’s S/MIME solution performed successfully by providing secure communication between US and Canada participants.

Beyond the examination among emergency personnel and whether they can use the technology to transmit data securely, both the US DHS S&T Directorate and Defense R&D Canada are considering development in remote areas that lack the necessary cellular communications required by some wireless devices. It is possible that rural areas could see increases in service offerings sooner than anticipated in response to the need for remote communication technologies in these areas.

The trial, its results and the benefits of deploying a secure wireless solution for data communications will be discussed by the exercise participants at an interactive roundtable discussion in December. The event is scheduled to take place during the Info Security New York conference at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

SRI International is an independent research and technology development organization. Founded in 1946 as the Stanford Research Institute, the nonprofit institute performs contract research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses and private foundations.

The Department of Homeland Security Cyber Security Research and Development Center is a partnership between government and industry to protect the nation’s information infrastructure. Established in March of 2004, SRI provides the technical, managerial and administrative support for the Center.

Defense R&D Canada is an agency made up of six research centers located across Canada. It is focused on ensuring that the Canadian Forces remain scientifically and operationally relevant.

The test results presented from this trial appear to have significant value in the evaluation of the nation’s current communication structure. In the event of disasters, the transfer of data and other communications will be essential. This trial appears to have proven that wireless communications can be utilized across borders and jurisdictions, regardless of the carrier.

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMC and has also written for eastbiz.com. To see more of her articles, please visit Susan J. Campbell’s columnist page.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

Discussions: