Sponsored by Spectra Group
https://tacs.at/Spectra
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04 Oct 18. Spectra Group expand into US with the opening of new Spectra Group (US) office in Fairfax County, VA. Spectra Group (UK) Ltd is an internationally renowned specialist provider of secure voice, data and satellite communications systems, specifically optimized for use in remote and challenging environments. Following recent contract successes in the USA, particularly with their battle-winning SlingShot tactical communications system, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd will be establishing Spectra Group (US) Inc in new offices in Fairfax County in Oct 2018. The opening of this new office is to coincide with Spectra (US) exhibiting at AUSA in Washington, 8-10 Oct 2018. By establishing a permanent presence in the USA, Spectra Group will be able to guarantee closer product support to their existing partners in North America, as well as dedicated product and service support directly to the end-user. Spectra Group aspire to expand their already significant international sales into new sectors not currently covered by existing US partners; a particularly exciting development as, globally, the USA offers the largest Defense, Emergency Response and Homeland Security market.
Spectra’s SlingShot adds voice and data BLOS COTM (Beyond Line of Sight Communications On The Move) to in-service tactical VHF and UHF radios. In addition to standard voice and data C2, it can enable capabilities such as remote biometric analysis, fire mission planning, tracking and inter-agency operations. Man-portable or vehicle-borne, useable on the move, delivering flexible channel leasing and with minimal increase in training-burden, SlingShot redefines tactical communication capabilities.
Recent world-wide exhibits of SlingShot at Africa Endeavour (Cape Verde), Land Forces (Australia), DVD (UK) and Global SOF (Spain) have been met with considerable international interest. Spectra will be following this up with attendance at AUSA, Washington (8th -10th Oct) and Africa Security Symposium, Dakar (7th – 9th Nov).
The launch of Spectra Group (US) Inc in North America will be formally announced at a press briefing taking place at AUSA on Tue 9th Oct. Spectra Group (US) Inc can be found at Booth 3138.
Simon Davies, CEO of Spectra Group said: “Spectra is very excited to be able to announce the opening of an office in Fairfax County. This welcome expansion of our business profile will enable us to forge even closer links with our existing partners and end-users in North America, as well as looking ahead to develop wider markets in the region.”
04 Oct 18. Crystal Group, Inc., a leading designer/manufacturer of rugged computer and electronic hardware, will introduce Crystal Group PASS™ – Platform Agnostic Security Solutions engineered to enhance cybersecurity protection for critical data-at-rest systems utilizing rugged computers, servers, switches, and data storage systems at five events worldwide in October. Crystal Group PASS includes the world’s first rugged FIPS 140-2 compliant data-at-rest storage devices, ruggedized RuckusTM ICX switches with NIAP certified IP-security modules for network encryption, and exclusively conformal-coated Seagate 2.5-inch, dual-port SAS drives compatible with any Crystal Group server, workstation, and JBOD or RAID storage system. Crystal Group’s encryption-based cybersecurity protection is built using the Intel® processor, chipset, and Trusted Platform Module to guard sensitive data-at-rest.
“PASS lines offer system designers the flexibility to meet exacting hardware and advanced cybersecure requirements,” said Jim Shaw, Crystal Group’s executive vice president of engineering. “Our ability to look ahead with customers, to develop specific variations of standard solutions, to meet their timeline, and protect their data is critical to successful mission and application execution while operating within demanding environments.”
Crystal Group’s PASS™ (Platform Agnostic Security Solutions) advanced cybersecurity guards data-at-rest against determined threats while rugged system design protects components from shock, temperature, salt, water, dust, and more, to help extend operational life, boost performance, and increase reliability. Crystal Group manufactures its field-proven products in vertically integrated NIST compliant, AS9100D certified, U.S.-based facilities, tracing every component from the raw materials through production processes to the delivery of the final warrantied product. This helps to ensure an end-to-end U.S. supply chain of custody and helps prevent security vulnerabilities.
03 Oct 18. US to offer cyberwar capabilities to NATO allies. Acting to counter Russia’s aggressive use of cyberattacks across Europe and around the world, the U.S. is expected to announce that, if asked, it will use its formidable cyberwarfare capabilities on NATO’s behalf, according to a senior U.S. official. The announcement is expected in the coming days as U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis attends a meeting of NATO defense ministers on Wednesday and Thursday.
Katie Wheelbarger, the principal deputy assistant defense secretary for international security affairs, said the U.S. is committing to use offensive and defensive cyber operations for NATO allies, but America will maintain control over its own personnel and capabilities.
The decision comes on the heels of the NATO summit in July, when members agreed to allow the alliance to use cyber capabilities that are provided voluntarily by allies to protect networks and respond to cyberattacks. It reflects growing concerns by the U.S. and its allies over Moscow’s use of cyber operations to influence elections in America and elsewhere.
“Russia is constantly pushing its cyber and information operations,” said Wheelbarger, adding that this is a way for the U.S. to show its continued commitment to NATO.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Wednesday that the inclusion of offensive cyber operations in alliance missions “is just one of many elements in our strengthened NATO cyber defenses.” And he said that it’s important to have cyber capabilities that can be used against the Islamic State group to destroy the networks they use for recruiting, financing and communicating.
He said that the British and Denmark have also agreed to make cyber contributions to NATO and he expects other allies will follow.
“We have seen an increasing number of cyber-attacks. They are more frequent, they are more sophisticated,” Stoltenberg said. “We see cyber being used to meddle in domestic political processes, attacks against critical infrastructure. Cyber will be an integral part of any future military conflict.”
Wheelbarger told reporters traveling to NATO with Mattis that the move is a signal to other nations that NATO is prepared to counter cyberattacks waged against the alliance or its members.
Much like America’s nuclear capabilities, the formal declaration of cyber support can help serve as a military deterrent to other nations and adversaries.
The U.S. has, for some time, considered cyber as a warfighting domain, much like air, sea, space and ground operations. In recent weeks the Pentagon released a new cybersecurity strategy that maps out a more aggressive use of military cyber capabilities. And it specifically calls out Russia and China for their use of cyberattacks.
China, it said, has been “persistently” stealing data from the public and private sector to gain an economic advantage. And it said Russia has use cyber information operations to “influence our population and challenge our diplomatic processes.” U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of interfering in the 2016 elections, including through online social media.
“We will conduct cyberspace operations to collect intelligence and prepare military cyber capabilities to be used in the event of a crisis or conflict,” the new strategy states, adding that the U.S. is prepared to use cyberwarfare along with other military weapons against its enemies when needed, including to counter malicious cyber activities targeting the country.
The document adds that the Pentagon will “work to strengthen the capacity” of allies and partners.
NATO has moved cautiously on offensive cyber capabilities. At the Warsaw Summit in 2016, allies recognized cyberspace as a warfighting domain. It has said that a computer-based attack on an ally would trigger NATO’s commitment to defend its members. And last year the alliance agreed to create a new cyber operations center. But the focus has always been on defending NATO networks and those of its members, not offensive cyberwar.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the defense ministers will have a working session this week to address cyber and other risks, and how allies can cooperate to counter such threats. He did not provide details. (Source: Defense News)
01 Oct 18. KBRwyle to Help LIG Nex1 Upgrade Korea’s IFF Capability. KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR) announced today that it is has signed an exclusive Teaming Agreement to support Korean aerospace and defense company LIG Nex1 in upgrading the Korean military’s Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) capability. Under the terms of the agreement, KBR will provide test and evaluation services for the planned upgrade of the Korean military’s IFF system. IFF is developed to an agreed standard and is deployed across Allied and Coalition forces to enable integrated military operations to be undertaken safely in both conflict and security operations. Allied and Coalition Forces use IFF technology to provide secure mutual identification of active military assets (aircraft, ground vehicles, naval vessels, etc.) through the transmission of encrypted data. The global upgrade, from Mode 4 to Mode 5, provides armed forces with improved and inter-forces compatible technology and an integrated, enhanced IFF capability.
KBR will support LIG Nex1 through the integration and operational testing activities, across the Korean military’s air, land and maritime platforms, to achieve the requirements for IFF Mode 5 certification. The support will be delivered by KBR’s Government Services Asia-Pacific business, headquartered in Australia.
The U.S. government has established stringent testing, evaluation and certification requirements that Mode 5 IFF technology must meet. KBR will use its wide breadth of knowledge, skills, and experience to ensure those requirements are met.
KBR has supported the deployment and support of IFF capabilities in the U.S. for decades under KBRwyle’s long history of Army, Navy and Joint military platform support activities.
“KBRwyle has developed an IFF Test & Evaluation Capability (ITEC) capability built on the skills and experience that the company has developed over many years in systems integration, test and evaluation and systems certification,” said Jay Ibrahim, KBR President, Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia-Pacific. “Our agreement with LIG Nex1 is an excellent opportunity to leverage our global footprint and apply our expertise in system testing and certification and complement LIG Nex1’s expertise in systems development, integration and production for the ROK IFF upgrade program.”
The IFF upgrade program is expected to commence in 2019. Estimated revenue associated with this project is expected to be booked into backlog of unfilled orders for KBR’s Government Services business segment in the second half 2019. (Source: ASD Network)
02 Oct 18. Rockwell Collins’ AN/PRC-162 radio Type-1 NSA certified. Rockwell Collins has received National Security Agency (NSA) Type-1 certification for its AN/PRC-162(V)1 RT-2048(C)U military ground radio, the company announced on 26 September. The certification validates that the radio provides protected handling of classified information up to and including Top Secret, as required for military operations. The AN/PRC-162, which is a man-portable and vehicle-mountable two-channel ground radio, will enable the US armed forces to tap into new communications capabilities such as the US Department of Defense’s Mobile User Objective System while maintaining interoperability with legacy waveforms. An open-architecture design allows for software-upgradeable capabilities in the future. Troy Brunk, vice president and general manager, communication, navigation and electronic warfare solutions for Rockwell Collins, said: ‘The NSA certification is a big step on our journey to provide troops with the latest communications technology available for operating in a more complex, multi-domain battlespace. We’ve leveraged decades of proven experience in airborne communications to develop a ground radio that will provide users with a heightened level of situational awareness and a tactical advantage.’ (Source: Shephard)
02 Oct 18. Raytheon Company’s (NYSE: RTN) Intelligence, Information and Services business announced two partnerships to enhance cybersecurity protection for critical infrastructure systems such as electoral, financial and healthcare systems. The new agreements with Cybraics and Authentic8 bring advanced protection technologies to Raytheon’s global mission partners through a Cyber as a Service subscription model.
- The partnership with Cybraics, an advanced analytics and artificial intelligence company, brings tested capabilities designed for cyber threat and anomaly detection. The Cybraics nLighten™ platform offers a unique artificial intelligence engine that rapidly learns environments and alerts security teams to threats and vulnerabilities across the spectrum. The technology protects critical infrastructure by identifying and prioritizing unknown threats.
- The alliance with Authentic8 secures users interacting on the web. Silo, from Authentic8, is a patented, secure virtual browser in the cloud designed to insulate and isolate the user from web content and attribution. Silo executes all web code in a secure remote environment while preserving full interaction with web content. When combined with its integrated policy framework and oversight capability, Silo eliminates risk on the web, allowing users to utilize internet resources and applications for critical workflows while protecting their digital environment.
“With global critical infrastructure systems under constant attack, organizations need flexible access to the most advanced technology possible to ensure resiliency,” said John DeSimone, vice president of Cybersecurity and Special Missions at Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. “Partnerships with companies like Cybraics and Authentic8 help combat these cyber threats by bringing innovative tools to our mission partners through a subscription model that delivers security faster and at a lower total cost.”
“We are extremely excited about the partnership with Raytheon to use nLighten™ as a core platform to deliver artificial intelligence and Security as a Service to the Raytheon Security Operations Center, customer base and prospective new customers,” said Marvin Wheeler, Co-Founder and CEO of Cybraics.
“Any cyber-related mission requires internet access – which means increased risk to the organization and more complicated management overhead,” said Scott Petry, CEO and co-founder of Authentic8. “With Silo, customers never expose their environment to the web, rather, our disposable, cloud-based infrastructure takes the hit. With this Raytheon partnership we extend our reach across the global security community, benefiting from the full suite of Raytheon IIS cyber solutions to ensure our customers remain safe, compliant and effective while conducting their activity.”
About Cybraics
Cybraics is a security analytics and artificial intelligence company, focused on solving the hardest problems in cybersecurity. We have created nLighten™, a fully automated security analytics and artificial intelligence platform delivered as-a-service. The nLighten™ platform uniquely combines multiple modes of machine learning with an advanced AI engine to find unknown, advanced and insider threats, and increases the overall efficiency of security teams. Visit www.cybraics.com for more information.
About Authentic8
Authentic8 redefines how organizations control use of the web with Silo, its patented cloud browser. Silo creates a perfect isolation layer between the user and the web, delivering an encrypted display of the remote browser session while preventing web code from entering the environment or reaching the end device. By embedding policies into the browser – from access controls, to DLP, to compliance auditing, Silo gives IT total command and control over the web, regardless of device, network, or location of the user. Silo is built fresh at session start and destroyed at session end, ensuring that users remain secure, compliant, and anonymous online. Try Silo risk free at www.authentic8.com.
02 Oct 18. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT and TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems” or “the Company”) announced today that its subsidiary, Elbit Systems UK Ltd. (“Elbit Systems UK”), was awarded an initial contract of circa £10m (approximately US$13m) and a potential maximum value of £40m, from the UK Ministry of Defence (“MoD”) to provide the MORPHEUS Battlefield Management Application (“BMA”). The initial contract will be performed over a three-year period. Under the contract Elbit Systems UK will provide the British Army with an operationally proven battle management application for both headquarters and tactical units, based on TORC2H™, Elbit Systems’ command and control platform that has been delivered to many customers worldwide, including to the Australian Defence Forces as part of its Land 200 Tranche 2 battle management system.
Martin Fausset, CEO of Elbit Systems UK, commented: “We are proud to have been selected by the UK MoD to supply the MORPHEUS BMA providing a valuable capability for the British Army. In doing so we will be bringing Elbit Systems’ operationally proven capability and technological edge into the UK, adapting it for use and delivering it together with our local partners.”
01 Oct 18. Ultra Electronics, 3eTI®, a leading cyber-technology company with products and solutions that secure critical infrastructure in industrial and government markets, today announced the successful completion of the Common Criteria evaluation of WiFiProtect (formerly known as AirGuard) 3e-520 series of wireless mesh radios, Validation ID 10859. 3eTI provides custom communication solutions that can be configured for wireless, self-healing, self-configuring mesh networking. The company’s WiFiProtect secure wireless networks series is a portfolio of robust, military-grade, secure mesh network devices optimized for rugged-outdoor, enterprise, and industrial automation and control environments.
Overseen by the NIAP, the rigorous evaluation was executed by an independent third-party in accordance with the Common Criteria Evaluation and Validation Scheme (CCEVS) requirements and guidance. This certification is significant as it makes evaluated commercial products available for National Security System (NSS) Procurement according to the Committee on National Security Systems Policy #11. It also defines 3eTI’s WiFiProtect 525N and 523N devices as the only wireless devices to be certified for National Information Assurance Partnership’s (NIAP) Common Criteria protection profile: Extended Package for Wireless LAN Access System.
“Third-party certifications are vital to ensuring that products have been thoroughly tested and meet stringent security and assurance requirements for our customers. These independent performance validations substantially reduce the business risk in introducing devices into networks,” said Charlene Mowery, CISM, and vice president of global business and marketing for Ultra Electronics, 3eTI.
The WiFiProtect secure wireless devices were also tested based on a number of environmental strengths including a security audit, cryptographic support, identification and authentication, security management, Protection of TSF, TOE Access, as well as a number of trusted paths/channels. Upon completion, it was concluded that WiFiProtect demonstrated it meets the security requirements contained in the Security Target.
“The NIAP Common Criteria certification for the WiFiProtect wireless access points reinforce our commitment to delivering products that meet the stringent security and assurance requirements of our government, military and industrial customers,” said Ana Maria Montalvo, director of engineering, Ultra Electronics, 3eTI.
28 Sep 18. RUAG Defence equipping NATO’s ‘forward’ troops with Tactical Access Nodes. Multinational battlegroups operating in eastern Europe under the command of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) are now using Tactical Access Node (TAN) technology designed to optimise communications between forces. According to Switzerland’s RUAG Defence, TANs are integrated on tactical ground vehicles to support battlegroups’ C4ISR requirements. Implemented at NATO’s 2016 Warsaw Summit, the alliance’s eFP deploys four multinational battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland designed to deter or counter Russian actions in the region. RUAG integrated seven European armed forces with TAN technology through August to support ongoing eFP missions in Lithuania. These include lead-state Germany, Belgium, Croatia, France, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Norway. This follows delivery of an undisclosed number of Test TANs in April 2017, which was followed by delivery of 10 TANs to the various forces in August 2018.
According to Massimo Gianora, RUAG Defence’s senior sales engineer, TANs comprise integrated voice and data routers capable of integrating radios and IP-based mobile and terrestrial communications.
“Interoperability is the focal point here,” Gianora told Jane’s. “The technology has enabled the communication of voice and data across the international troops’ various systems and networks for the first time. The platform has also made it possible to expand a secure communications network – allowing each battlegroup to keep their encryption mechanism and to host third-party software and services in a decentralised manner.”
The TANs comprise variants from RUAG Defence’s Aranea product portfolio, enabling data and voice communication between systems and technologies such as software-defined and analog radio systems; LTE; Wi-Fi; Eurocom analog phones and switches; Ethernet; and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Sep 18. DOD has lost 4,000 civilian cyber workers in the past year. The Defense Department lost thousands of civilian cyber workers in the past year, mainly in IT management and computer science-related positions, a senior defense official testified at a Sept. 26 Senate hearing.
“Most of the job losses that we’ve seen here over the past year or so total about 4,000 civilian cyber-related personnel,” Essye Miller, DOD’s principal deputy CIO, told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Personnel and Cybersecurity subcommittees. Defense officials said they would share more details on how their cyber governance and talent management plans would line up with DOD’s recently released cyber strategy in closed session.
“This encompasses more than your traditional IT, intel role,” Miller said at the open portion of the hearing. “It also includes some of our health occupations, criminal investigation and other occupational series that we need to keep in mind.”
Miller emphasized in her written testimony that most of the losses were in IT management and computer science, but that DOD’s needs spanned multiple job roles and specialties.
“We need individuals across a wide variety of cyber work roles, including software developers and secure software assessors, system administrators and network operations specialists, data analysts, systems security analysts, and system test and evaluators,” Miller wrote, adding that the Cyber Mission Forces need to focus on personnel planning, coding, forensics, malware, data science, linguists and cybersecurity professionals. Some of the loss is cyclical and expected to be replenished by “normal job turnover,” Miller said. But the DOD is hoping to boost numbers with a number of proposals.
Brig. Gen. Dennis Crall, the principal deputy cyber advisor and senior military advisor for cyber policy for the defense secretary’s office, testified that the department also wants to increase pay up to $86,000 on the General Schedule pay scale, as it has done with the Cyber Excepted Service.
But compensation isn’t the only issue. Crall said it’s also “difficult to match the speed with which they hire and onboard and start individuals and clear them for some very sensitive projects.”
DOD has several proposals that it hopes to get started by the end of the year, Crall said, including offering targeted compensation packages when competition is steep or there’s a dearth of talent; retention bonuses; and ways to speed up the clearance process.
DOD also is working to define its cyber workforce and expand the Cyber Excepted Service personnel system for civilian IT and cyber defense workers. Crall said DOD is moving to phase two of implementation and expects to expand the excepted service to 8,300 positions, including the Defense Information Systems Agency and service cyber components. Phase one had 363 slots and focused on U.S. Cyber Command.
“We need to understand our market better,” he said. “We use too much anecdotal evidence and experience to describe what attracts people and why people leave. And while I will say most of it sounds right, market analysis is key. We gotta make sure we’re dialed in and not focusing on a goal that may be a year or two old.” (Source: Defense Systems)
28 Sep 18. US Army to Rely on Thales’ Leader Radio for Battlefield Communications. Thales has been awarded a ten year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for the United States Army’s 2-Channel Leader Radio program. This IDIQ contract will equip Soldiers with dismounted and mounted communications solutions delivering cutting-edge technologies and address the Army’s Network Modernization strategy.
“Thales is pleased to be supporting the Army on this critical program in partnership with TrellisWare,” said Mike Sheehan, President and CEO of Thales Defense and Security, Inc. “Together, we have once again demonstrated our first-to-market leadership in delivering the world’s first 2-channel handheld radio which will provide our soldiers with overmatch capability through network connectivity and improved situational awareness.”
With Thales’ Leader Radio, AN/PRC-148C (IMBITR) embedding the TrellisWare TSM™ waveform, Soldiers no longer need to carry two separate radios to conduct voice and data communications. The IMBITR provides assured, simultaneous networked voice, data and video communications for improved situational awareness while ensuring Joint and Coalition interoperability. As a software-defined radio, the IMBITR allows for future upgrades to new and emerging waveforms. Additionally, through mission modules, the IMBITR addresses future communications convergence requirements with currently available intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and signal intelligence/electronic warfare modules.
As the first to engineer a 2-channel handheld networking radio, Thales has perfected the IMBITR to enable Soldiers to fully leverage battlefield networks, while creating superior interoperability with other connected devices. The IMBITR solution enables redundancy and resiliency while maintaining ground-to-ground and ground-to-air communications providing Soldiers with significantly improved communications giving them the tactical advantage necessary to achieve mission success.
Currently fielded and proven with the Army’s Security Force Assistance Brigade, the IMBITR will provide the Warfighter with critical narrowband very high frequency/ultra high frequency and tactical satellite communications capabilities along with a second wideband channel providing a world-class, mobile, ad hoc networking waveform. (Source: ASD Network)
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Spectra Group Plc
Spectra has a proven record of accomplishment – with over 15 years of experience in delivering secure communications and cybersecurity solutions for governments around the globe; elite militaries; and private enterprises of all sizes.
As a dynamic, agile, security accredited organisation, Spectra can leverage this experience to deliver Cyber Advisory and secure Hosted and Managed Solutions on time, to spec and on budget, ensuring compliance with industry standards and best practices.
Spectra’s SlingShot® is a unique low SWaP system that enables in-service U/VHF tactical radios to utilise Inmarsat’s commercial satellite network for BLOS COTM. Including omnidirectional antenna for the man, vehicle, maritime and aviation platforms, the tactical net can broadcast over 1000s miles between forward units and a rear HQ, no matter how or where the deployment. Unlike many BLOS options, SlingShot maintains full COTM (Communications On The Move) capability and low size and weight
On 23 November 2017, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd announced that it had recently been listed as a Top 100 Government SME Supplier for 2015-2016 by the UK Crown Commercial Services
Spectra’s CEO, Simon Davies, was awarded 2017 BATTLESPACE Businessman of the Year by BATTLESPACE magazine and is a finalist in the inaugural British Ex-Forces In Business Awards in the Innovator Of The Year category.
Founded in 2002, the Company is based in Hereford, UK and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation.
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