Sponsored by Spectra Group
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14 Nov 24. Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ: CMTL) (“Comtech” or the “Company”), a global technology leader, announced today that the U.S. Navy Information Warfare Systems Command awarded the Company a sole source contract for Comtech’s U.S sovereign software-defined SLM-5650B satellite communications (“SATCOM”) modems, upgrade kits, firmware options and technical support. The contract has a four-year period of performance and is valued in excess of $50.0m. Funded orders received to date are valued at approximately $2m.
Currently, multiple U.S. Navy programs field thousands of Comtech SATCOM modems. Comtech’s commercially available modems support communications over commercial and military satellite networks and are critical for interoperability across Navy platforms and shore sites.
“As data rate demands in the U.S. Navy Fleet increase, and satellite technologies evolve to provide enhanced capabilities, Comtech’s U.S. sovereign SLM-5650B modems are uniquely designed to meet the needs of the Navy today, as well as the joint force operations of tomorrow,” said John Ratigan, President and CEO of Comtech. “As a longstanding trusted partner of the U.S. Navy, Comtech’s modem technologies provide critical communications capabilities that enhance situational awareness and improve operational effectiveness in the world’s most challenging environments. We are honored to strengthen our relationship with the U.S. Navy through this award, which provides a new contracting vehicle to significantly expand the number of Comtech SATCOM modems delivered over the next four years.”
Developed and manufactured at its headquarters in Chandler, AZ, Comtech’s SLM-5650B is the Company’s current Wideband Global SATCOM-certified modem designed to deliver critical communications services for commercial backhaul and government and military applications. The software-defined SLM-5650B currently supports multiple critical DoD and NATO waveforms, including DVB-S2X, with the ability to easily add more waveforms and functions to meet emerging mission needs. The Company was also recently awarded a strategically significant SES Space & Defense contract to deliver SLM-5650B and other next-generation modems to support sovereign connectivity programs over the SES O3b mPOWER constellation.
Comtech’s portfolio of U.S. sovereign defense technologies and services, including the Company’s SLM-5650B and next-generation modems, align with the Space Force Commercial Space Strategy and deliver capabilities that will enhance Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control operations. Comtech’s expansive portfolio of defense and security technologies is designed to continuously evolve over time to enable digitalized SATCOM infrastructures and integrate services across blended military and commercial networks to enhance mission effectiveness in future all-domain operations.
14 Nov 24. Glasswall, a leading provider of intelligent file protection technologies, claimed two major honors at the prestigious UK IT Industry Awards 2024 for Glasswall Halo in the Security Innovation of the Year category and Connor Morley, who was presented with the Security Professional of the Year award.
Hosted at a ceremony in London on November 13th, the UK IT Industry Awards are designed to celebrate and promote the organizations, teams, projects, technologies and individuals who continue to help shape the future of IT, the technology industry and digital society. Glasswall was successful in two highly competitive categories, which included major international cybersecurity brands and outstanding industry professionals.
Winning for Security Innovation of the Year was Glasswall Halo, a scalable zero-trust file protection solution, deployable on-premises, in the cloud or air-gapped networks. Powered by Glasswall Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) technology, it is a data filter that rebuilds files and documents into a safe, clean standard, free from the risks of malware. Glasswall Halo helps deliver a zero-trust approach to cybersecurity, outperforms antivirus, sandboxing and EDR methods and is essential for secure file transfer across trust boundaries.
In addition, Connor Morley, Glasswall’s Principal Malware Security Researcher, was named Security Professional of the Year. Renowned for his innovative contribution to cybersecurity and deep expertise in malware analysis, threat hunting and security research, his development of cutting-edge tools such as Glasswall Conform and novel approaches to defeating steganography have set new industry standards.
“This is a major achievement for the entire Glasswall team, who are a hugely talented and dedicated group of professionals,” commented Danny Lopez, Glasswall CEO. “It also demonstrates our commitment to technology innovation and building an organization where employees can thrive in a highly competitive industry sector.”
About Glasswall
Glasswall is a cybersecurity company that protects government agencies and commercial organizations from malicious files with its Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) technology. Unlike traditional detection-based methods, Glasswall employs a zero-trust approach, which removes the ability for malware to exist in files altogether. www.glasswall.com
13 Nov 24. At SDSC-UK 2024, @MPG will showcase a range of exciting products, designed to support critical operations in defence.
This includes:
Communication Deconfliction System
- Allows simultaneous use of radio systems while jamming
- Simple integration or retrofit to any vehicle
- Covers full 225-400 MHz radio band
Reconfigurable Filter Bank for ESM Front-End
- Flexibility with 2 GHz notches and bandpass filtering across 2-18 GHz range
- Instantly switches among 256 filter shapes in under 100 ns
- Fully qualified for fast jet environments
Compact Tuner-Downconverter for EW Receiver
- Provides EW-quality performance normally seen in 19” rack mounted systems within a compact 3U form-factor
- Ultra-low phase noise and Spurious Free Dynamic Range
- SOSA-aligned Open VPX interface
Want to know more?
Head to Stand 5C at SDSC-UK to speak to @David Rawlinson, @Emyr Rees and the MPG team. David has more than 15 years of experience in defence and aerospace and is MPG’s go-to specialist for European space solutions. Emyr has over 30 years of experience in RF/Microwave Engineering, with a focus on defence communications and electromagnetic spectrum operations. He is MPG’s leading expert for defence solutions within UK & Europe.
Register now: www.sdsc-uk.co.uk
14 Nov 24. Global: Botnet resurgence elevates security, disruption risks from Chinese state-sponsored groups. On 12 November, the cyber security company SecurityScorecard disclosed that a botnet (‘JDYFJ’) employed by the Chinese state-sponsored group ‘Volt Typhoon’ remains active despite a law enforcement takedown in February. Throughout September, JDYFJ initiated and maintained an active connection from a compromised router in New Caledonia, highlighting the botnet’s resilience. Volt Typhoon has also reportedly compromised additional end-of-life routers since February, suggesting that it is possibly expanding the botnet’s infrastructure. JDYFJ notably uses several obfuscation techniques designed to mimic legitimate traffic, underscoring the sophistication of its detection-evasion capabilities. Volt Typhoon frequently targets perceived adversarial critical national infrastructure (CNI), likely to pre-position itself to conduct reconnaissance and obtain access for future disruptive attacks. Earlier in November, Volt Typhoon also infiltrated a Singaporean telecommunications provider, pointing to an overall increase in Chinese state-sponsored cyber operations. We assess this will elevate long-term security and disruption risks for CNI amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. (Source: Sibylline)
12 Nov 24. Ready Mercury? The US Navy’s E-6B Mercury TACAMO nuclear command and control aircraft are due to be replaced by a new platform based on the C-130J turboprop airlifter. The navy has operated Hercules-based nuclear C2 aircraft in the past in the guise of the EC-130G/Q.
The US Navy has shared details with Armada regarding its ongoing plans to replace the force’s existing Boeing E-6B Mercury TACAMO aircraft.
The TACAMO (Take Charge and Move Out) mission forms a vital part of the United States’ strategic nuclear deterrent. The US Navy’s E-6B Mercury planes act as a communications conduit between the country’s political leadership and America’s nuclear platforms. US nuclear platforms include US Air Force (USAF) Boeing LGM-30G(V)3 Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) housed in launch silos. The USAF also has responsibility for the air-delivered component of the deterrent. The air-delivered nuclear arsenal includes Boeing AGM-86B air-to-surface missiles, and B-61 and B-83 nuclear bombs. The at-sea component includes Lockheed Martin UGM-133A Trident-D5 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs).
Should the US president make the order to use nuclear weapons this would be relayed to the E-6B jets and USAF Boeing E-4B National Airborne Operations Centre aircraft. Both these planes form a key part of the US NC3 (Nuclear Command, Control and Communications) infrastructure, performing similar roles. The E-4Bs and E-6Bs can sent aloft in times of tension which affords them a degree of survivability against any incoming nuclear attack aimed at US airbases. Moreover, flying at altitude allows the aircraft to provide a radio relay moving nuclear Command and Control (C2) traffic between bases on the ground, ICBM silos, US Navy ‘Ohio’ class Nuclear-Powered Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs) carrying the SLBMs, and the USAF’s Whiteman and Barksdale airbases in Missouri and Louisiana. These two bases are home to the air force’s Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit and Boeing B-52G Stratofortress strategic bombers.
Radio, what’s new?
The E-6B use five communications links to receive and transmit nuclear C2 traffic, known as Emergency Action Messages (EAMs). These include the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) Satellite Communications (SATCOM) system, plus Very Low Frequency (VLF: three kilohertz/KHz to 30KHz), Low Frequency (LF: 30KHz to 300KHz), High Frequency (HF: three megahertz/MHz to 30MHz) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF: 225 megahertz/MHz to 400MHz) links. The AEHF carries traffic securely using an Earth-to-space uplink of 44 gigahertz/GHz. Signals are sent from the satellites to Earth on frequencies of 20GHz. Both the VLF and LF links form part of the Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network (MEECN). MEECN is believed to be primarily used to transmit EAMs to the SSBN force. UHF is the conduit used for the Airborne Launch Control System which transmits EAMs to the ICBM force, while HF EAM traffic is carried across the HF Global Communications System (HFGCS). It is thought that the HFGCS sends EAMs to the B-52Hs and B-2As, and their bases. This combination of SATCOM, VLF, LF, HF, and UHF links provide redundancy in the nuclear C2 chain. For example, should SATCOM links suffer interference or deliberate jamming, other links can pick up the slack.
The show must go on
The US Navy is replacing the E-6B via the TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme. In 2020, the US Navy chose Lockheed Martin’s C-130J turboprop airlifter as the preferred platform to replace the Mercury. Ironically, the United States Navy is going back to the fold by choosing the C-130 as the preferred platform. The original TACAMO aircraft was the EC-130G/Q which entered service in 1968.
A US Navy spokesperson shared that the TACAMO replacement Request for Proposals (RFP) calls for a “minimum of eight and a maximum of twelve E-130J aircraft, comprised of three Engineering Development Models (EDMs), up to three system demonstration test articles, and up to six aircraft in the first lot of production. Additional aircraft will be acquired through future production lots.” The EDMs will be C-130J-30 aircraft and will be delivered in 2026: “The contract award will determine the timeline for modifications and when these EDMs enter service as test aircraft.” When these aircraft will enter service as test platforms is not being revealed due to operational security, the spokesperson continued.
The navy must still decide on a prime contractor for the the nuclear C2 system on the aircraft as per the RFP. Collins Aerospace has already been selected to provide the new VLF architecture. The RFP will “expedite the development, testing and deployment of the critical NC3 system-of-systems by using an existing baseline aircraft (the C-130J-30) and leveraging existing, mature mission systems technology to minimize the need for new development.” What this seems to suggest is that some of the E-6Bs’ existing systems may be ‘cross-decked’ onto the new platform. This would make sense, particularly where systems are relatively recent and not yet in need of replacement. Ultimately, the TACAMO recapitalisation will allow the eventual retirement of “the aging E-6B Mercury fleet allowing the navy to transition the nation’s NC3 capability with no break in coverage.” (Source: Armada)
13 Nov 24. Eastern Promise. The three Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are constructing the fortified Baltic Defence Line to help protect against military incursions across their borders from Russia and Belarus. NATO’s Multi-Domain Operations posture comes under scrutiny during this year’s Riga Conference held in the Latvian Capital.
The sun poured through the windows of the delightful National Museum of Latvia situated on the banks of the Daugava River, the venue for this year’s Riga Conference held between 17th and 19th October. One side event was a panel examining Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) readiness on the Eastern Flank. This event was sponsored by Globsec, a think tank based in Bratislava, Slovakia. Globsec has recently published a report entitled Connect to Succeed: Multi-Domain Operations Readiness on the Eastern Flank.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is embracing Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) and details on how NATO defines MDO can be found here. Marcin Zaborowski, Globsec’s distinguished fellow for the future of security programme, retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commander of the United States Army in Europe, and Martin Sklenár, former minister of defence of the Slovak Republic, and a Globsec distinguished fellow, comprised the panellists. They asserted that what differentiates MDO from joint operations is the addition of the space and cyber domains into the strategic, operational and tactical levels of war alongside the traditional sea, land and air domains. A key message of the panel discussions is that MDO must be integral to how NATO fights, trains and organises.
All panellists agreed that the Ukrainian armed forces are today are conducting MDO in that country’s fight against Russian occupation. The Ukrainian military is operating in the land, maritime and air environments, alongside the space and cyber domains. The country’s armed forces are performing operations at depth, for example striking Russian oil and gas infrastructure, while continuing to perform tactical and operational tasks. These efforts are depending on a heavily congested electromagnetic environment contested by Russian electronic warfare.
Instruments of national power
A key discriminator for the alliance’s multidomain operations vision, compared to that of the US Department of Defence, is the centrality of so-called instruments of national power. Military operations demand a constant search for the best effect, but that effect might not always originate from the military. Perhaps it is possible to employ political effects such as sanctions, which could have a military consequence? Sanctions on the import of advanced technology, could negatively affect the quality and quantity of weapons an adversary can deploy. However, this reality must be set against the risk that there may be a lack of awareness in government regarding MDO utility and its organisation. Government, critical national infrastructure, the public and private sector, and civil society are arguably all domains in their own way.
There can be a tendency for some armed forces to build up new siloed capabilities in different domains. Bureaucratic structures, plus service rivalries, can act as a restraint on the implementation of the MDO mindset. Is capability acquisition conducted across the alliance with MDO as a key consideration? The three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are currently building the Baltic Defence Line fortifications. These fortifications will protect their borders against any armed incursions from Russia and Belarus. Ensuring high levels of inter- and intra-force operability will be vital to ensuring that the line is robust.
Making MDO a reality
Arguments were made at the event that NATO’s MDO plans and requirements should be front and centre vis-à-vis training across the alliance. It is not always natural for services to want to work together, but it must be emphasised that the sum can be greater than its parts strategically, operationally and tactically. Training should reflect the need to use integrated effects in a multinational environment should war with Russia erupt. The alliance needs to be ready for Russia’s own interpretation of the MDO philosophy. There is every chance in a future war that the Russian military will launch missile strikes against NATO transportation targets. Russian commanders realise that NATO’s response to any aggression depends on rapidly reinforcing the Baltic. Transportation targets will likely be hit with cyberattacks as well as kinetic effects. NATO units might have to fight for up to two weeks before NATO reinforcements appear en masse in the Baltic.
Delegates and panellists had some simple, but indispensable, advice for NATO as it embraces MDO: Governments and militaries should prioritise connectivity and get the best value from investments they are already making. The alliance should be making clear to Russia that it is well prepared for war and continually improving this preparedness. Last, but by no means least, militaries need to ensure they have robust, redundant and secure networking, and to realise that this connectivity can itself be a potent effect. (Source: Armada)
14 Nov 24. LETACCIS Leaps. The UK’s Ministry of Defence has several communications, and command and control, modernisation programmes consolidated under the Land Environment Tactical Communications and Information Systems, or LETACCIS, programme.
The UK’s ongoing overhaul of its military communications, and command and control capabilities, has taken an important step forward.
On 14th October, QinetiQ was awarded a contract by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) to support the Land Environment Tactical Communications and Information Systems (LETACCIS) programme. According to reports, the company will provide the MOD with engineering and programme expertise to support LETACCIS.
LETACCIS defined
LETACCIS is an overarching effort encompassing several programmes to enhance the British Army’s connectivity. These include the Bowman Combat Infrastructure and Platform-5.6/5.7 (BCIP 5.6/5.7) initiative, Trinity, the Joint Common Remote Viewing Terminal (JCRVT), Dismounted Soldier Awareness (DSA), Falcon and Niobe. Trinity provides a deployable wide area network to replace the British Army’s Falcon operational/tactical level trunk communications architecture and is being delivered by BAE Systems. Niobe delivers a multi-platform common, mission-configurable communications information system. L3Harris is delivering the JCRVT which is a modular remote viewing system receiving and transmitting real time video. DSA will provide dismounted troops with improved voice and data communications services at company level. This capability is being provided through the acquisition of the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK). LETACCIS also covered the now-defunct Project Morpheus initiative. Morpheus was intended to deliver an open architecture tactical communications system to replace BCIP 5.6.
A spokesperson for QinetiQ told Armada that the company is delivering “deep engineering and programme skills and experience to several areas of this large programme” as a “Tactical Systems (TACSYS) resource partner.” QinetiQ is providing these services to the TACSYS Service Executive. This latter body sits within Defence Digital which is one part of the UK’s Strategic Command. In its own words, the Defence Digital organisation “is responsible for making sure that effective digital and information technology is put into the hands of the military.” Regarding LETACCIS, Defence Digital is “tasked with delivering the equipment and logistic defence lines of development for the projects within the … programme.” The spokesperson emphasised that QinetiQ is not the only company involved with LETACCIS: “We are delivering into only some parts of the programme. Many other providers and suppliers are contributing.” Options exist to extend QinetiQ’s three-year LETACCIS contract for a further two years.
The shopping list
This latest development regarding LETACCIS is welcome. There is an overriding need to advance the connectivity and networking of the UK’s armed forces. This is further underscored by the country’s embrace of the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) mindset. The UK’s own interpretation of MDO is known as Multi-Domain Integration (MDI). MDO stresses the intra- and interforce connectivity of all military assets at all levels of war to perform synchronous operations aided by faster and better-quality decision-making than one’s adversary. The MDI concept extends this approach to deepen connectivity with other parts of government, the public and private sectors, and civil society. Despite LETACCIS, other initiatives remain outstanding, not least of which is the Morpheus requirement which must be urgently addressed. (Source: Armada)
14 Nov 24. November Radio Roundup. Armada’s monthly roundup of all the latest news in the military communications product, programme and operational domains.
MUOS Streams Video
An important step forward has been taken concerning the ability of the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) Satellite Communications (SATCOM) constellation to carry streaming video. MUOS is a narrowband SATCOM network using frequencies of 300 megahertz/MHz to 320MHz for uplink. Frequencies of 360MHz to 380MHz are used for downlink, according to open sources. These same sources note that voice and data traffic can move across the network at speeds of circa 39.2 megabits-per-second. SATCOM terminals and modems must use the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access waveform to gain access to the MUOS constellation. MUOS is primarily used by the United States military and allied nations like Canada. Reticulate Micro, together with Curtiss Wright and NanTenna, demonstrated that live video could be streamed over the network during a recent US Army exercise. The demonstration was noteworthy because narrowband links are not traditionally associated with data-heavy traffic like streaming video. Reticulate Micro told Armada, via a written statement, that the video was streamed over a single channel, as opposed to binding multiple channels to ensure sufficient bandwidth. The company said this recent experiment saw a single channel with 64 kilobits-per-second of bandwidth being used. Reticulate Micro employed its VAST video encoder for the demonstration. VAST worked with Curtiss-Wright’s PacStar Modular Radio Centre and L3Harris’ AN/PRC-117G multiband (20MHz to two gigahertz) networking radios. Plans are afoot to test the VAST’s abilities to carry two-way voice and video traffic and the company expects this capability to be ready for use in early 2025.
Himera has teamed with Reticulate Micro to offer the Himera-G1 Pro to the US market. This radio is the latest iteration of the Himera-G1 and includes robust electronic protection protocols.
Battle Proven
Staying with Reticulate Micro, the company has teamed up with Ukraine’s Himera to offer the latter’s Himera-G1 Pro handheld radio to customers in the United States. The radio was unveiled earlier in July 2024 and has been developed with robust electronic protection protocols as standard. A press release announcing the radio’s launch stated that the Himera-G1 has AES-256 (Automatic Encryption Standard-256) protection. Other safeguards include frequency hopping protocols. The press release continued that the radio can be easily configured via a Bluetooth connection using a smartphone running the Android operating system. Himera-G1 Pro radios can create mobile ad hoc networks for the carriage of voice and data traffic. The Himera-G1 Pro builds upon the Himera-G1 already fielded with Ukrainian forces. Misha Rudominski, Himera’s co-founder, told Armada that the Himera-G1 Pro being offered to the US market “is very much the same product to what we offer in Ukraine … The radio for Ukraine’s defence forces was built over many iterations of testing and feedback from active users on the battlefield.” Louis Sutherland, Reticulate Micro’s senior director for business development, added that the Himera G1 Pro is ideally placed to serve as a squad radio and is “designed in a way to meet the military’s robust voice requirements at a low cost … In general terms, it’s not out of the question for a handheld of another brand to cost between $40,000 and $60,000.” Mr. Sutherland shared that a US Department of Defence (DOD) testing agency has purchased some of the radios for evaluation: “We look forward to the outcome of the testing as it will serve as a bellwether for how other DOD users will receive the product … We hope that once the G1 Pro is tested and validated, that there will be opportunities to make squad radios more broadly accessible to the troops who need them.” (Source: Armada)
12 Nov 24. BeeKeeperAI Partners with Government Acquisitions, Inc. to Provide a Privacy-Enhancing, AI Solution to the U.S. Federal Government.
GAI will incorporate BeeKeeperAI’s EscrowAI into its multi-faceted EdgeShield platform to increase data privacy and integrity in concordance with the latest government requirements for data and AI
November 12, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BeeKeeperAI®, Inc., a pioneer in privacy-enhancing, multi-party collaboration software for AI development and deployment, today announced its collaboration with Government Acquisitions, Inc (GAI). As a leading provider of end-to-end IT solutions to the federal government, GAI will add BeeKeeperAI’s EscrowAI® capabilities for data privacy, security, and AI collaboration to GAI’s flagship platform solution, EdgeShield, that represents a significant advancement in sensor data and algorithm security and integrity for the U.S. federal government.
To address the expansion of intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) devices along with the proliferation of 5G, GAI will incorporate BeeKeeperAI’s EscrowAI collaboration solution into EdgeShield, which provides end-to-end protection for data collected from sensors and other edge devices through to data aggregation, computing and reporting. GAI will utilize EscrowAI to advance its capabilities to protect the models and the data in transit, at rest, and during compute. Not only will EscrowAI be key to maintaining data and algorithm privacy during the computing cycle, but it will also produce an immutable record of interactions with both data and algorithms to meet the latest government requirements.
GAI’s EdgeShield platform, which is an integration of five leading platforms – now including BeeKeeperAI’s EscrowAI – is designed to improve data security and integrity, time to insights, and data analytics efficiency for better decision-making. This platform is designed to enable faster reactions, secure data-sharing, and proactive protections through AI-assisted insights – relevant across a broad scope ranging from high-level to tactical decision-making support.
BeeKeeperAI is a pioneer in privacy-enhancing, AI collaboration technologies to secure and accelerate the development and deployment of AI in regulated data industries. The company’s EscrowAI collaboration solution protects intellectual property (IP) and data privacy, integrating and automating the use of Trusted Execution Environments with confidential computing within a secure data environment, and delivering encrypted security during the computing cycle and full isolation of the computing resource. EscrowAI’s application layer provides encrypted protection for the data and algorithm to support inference, training, validation and deployment, including in warfare scenarios.
“BeeKeeperAI’s EscrowAI solution is a unique application providing a scalable, automated workflow that enables encrypted computing for the most advanced protection of data and algorithms,” said Jay Lambke, President at GAI. “When developing the EdgeShield solution we recognized that BeeKeeperAI’s solution was an integral part we needed to incorporate. As GAI stays on the leading edge of AI and intelligent IoT devices, we leverage state-of-the-art privacy and security technologies, so we’re excited to expand our solution portfolio with the addition of BeeKeeperAI’s solution for algorithm development and model training on data.”
“We are pleased that our privacy-enhancing data and AI collaboration platform, EscrowAI, was selected by GAI for inclusion in their multi-faceted EdgeShield platform,” said Dr. Michael Blum, MD, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at BeeKeeperAI. “Within the application, the workflow steps are monitored in an automated fashion, and an immutable record is produced of each action taken within the data processing and computing workflow, which is critical as it provides the necessary evidence chain to verify the absence of tampering with data and/or an algorithm.”
BeeKeeperAI’s privacy-enhancing technology platform leverages Intel’s confidential computing and Software Guard Extensions (SGX) to create a zero-trust environment that protects data. GAI also has a long track record of using Intel’s innovations to advance solutions for the government.
Steve Orrin, Federal CTO at Intel, said, “BeeKeeperAI and GAI are valued Intel partners. We are pleased that they will be leveraging Intel innovation to address a critical security threat for the federal government.”
About BeeKeeperAI
BeeKeeperAI is the pioneer in privacy-enhancing technologies, leveraging Trusted Execution Environments with confidential computing for the development and deployment of AI in regulated data industries, including healthcare and government. BeeKeeperAI is accelerating the broader availability of AI-powered solutions that will help to redefine the future of healthcare, commerce and government. For more information, go to beekeeperai.com.
About GAI
GAI focuses on artificial intelligence (AI), automation, analytics, cybersecurity, and infrastructure. With 30 years of experience in delivering solutions to the U.S. government, GAI works with federal agencies and its IT partners to modernize, optimize, and deliver unparalleled mission support. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
12 Nov 24. DOD Releases Private 5G Deployment Strategy. On October 16, 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD) signed its strategy for the deployment of private fifth generation (5G) networks at military installations. This strategy is a key enabler to the DoD’s modernization effort to leverage 5G networks, both commercial and private, to deliver ubiquitous, high-speed connectivity for mobile capabilities. In addition, Fulcrum: The Department of Defense Information Technology Advancement Strategy, released in June 2024, calls for the implementation of 5G across DoD installations and operating forces. The DoD Private 5G Deployment Strategy provides guidance for the implementation and operation of private 5G networks at military installations while maximizing Open RAN ecosystems to the extent possible.
The deployment of 5G infrastructure will allow installations to leverage commercial mobile broadband for quality of life and routine mission needs, benefitting military and civilian populations at DoD installations. This infrastructure will also allow the warfighter to ingest and transfer massive amounts of data – a capability that will be critical for the U.S. to retain information and decision advantage. The Department anticipates that military installations will primarily employ commercial networks; however, we recognize that, under certain circumstances, commercial 5G may not fulfill DoD’s requirements. Private networks may augment or supplement commercial services because they are tailored to each installation’s mission needs, security, and military-unique capabilities.
Through this strategy, the Department targets several objectives. First, DoD intends to align private 5G infrastructure with each installation’s unique mission, requiring decisionmakers to evaluate whether specific mission, security, coverage, and performance requirements can only be met by private 5G. Second, DoD aims to accelerate the acquisition, development, and secure deployment of 5G, directing DoD Components to additional implementation guidance to support the integration of new commercial 5G capabilities into DoD missions and systems. Finally, the strategy encourages the expansion of an Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) ecosystem.
In the coming months, the DoD will provide additional implementation guidance and reference documents to aid the Military Departments as they deploy both commercial and private 5G networks on installations. The DoD Private 5G Deployment Strategy can be found here: https://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/Library/Private5GDeploymentStrategy.pdf(Source: U.S. DoD)
12 Nov 24. Global: New ransomware strain points to heightened financial, disruption risks facing organisations. On 11 November, the cyber security company Kaspersky reported that a new ransomware strain (‘Ymir’) has been used in combination with another information-stealing malware (‘RustyStealer’) since at least July. Threat actors typically deploy RustyStealer on compromised systems to steal credentials and hijack user accounts. This enables them to move laterally, subsequently using PowerShell to take full control of compromised systems and to establish communication with actor-controlled infrastructure. The actors then install Ymir and display a ransom note demanding a payment to decrypt data and to prevent it from being leaked. While Ymir does not display any data-exfiltration capabilities, it is possible that the threat actors initially exfiltrated sensitive information via RustyStealer. Additionally, Ymir employs several sophisticated detection-evasion techniques, underscoring the highly stealthy nature of the ransomware. As such, we assess that this operation will sustain heightened financial and disruption risks for global organisations in the short-to-medium term. (Source: Sibylline)
11 Nov 24. South Korea: Increase in attacks points to raised security, disruption risks from pro-Russia groups. On 8 November, international news outlets reported that pro-Russia hacktivist groups have increased their cyber attacks against South Korean private and public organisations. The groups are increasingly breaching civilian devices and conducting distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against government and private websites. Notably, the attacks have not caused any significant damage and have only resulted in temporary delays and disruption. The reported spike in activity is likely due to South Korea’s decision to monitor North Korean troops who are currently fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. The groups also made unverified claims to have compromised industrial control systems (ICS) in South Korea and Ukraine, highlighting the potential operational risks facing these environments. Although South Korea has announced plans to enhance its cyber security preparedness in light of these attacks, we assess that security and disruption risks for South Korean entities will be heightened in the medium term. (Source: Sibylline)
06 Nov 24. Becrypt to exhibit at SDSC-UK 2024: 18-20th November, Stand 29A. Becrypt, a leader in high assurance cybersecurity products and services, is excited to announce its participation in the upcoming Specialist Defence & Security Convention UK (SDSC-UK) 2024, taking place from November 18-20th at the Telford International Centre, Telford. This event offers industry professionals a valuable opportunity to meet various companies, including Becrypt, and explore their innovative products designed to protect organisations from elevated cyber threats.
At SDSC 2024, Becrypt will showcase its comprehensive suite of high assurance solutions tailored for both public and private sector organisations. Attendees are encouraged to visit Becrypt on Stand 29A to learn more about the following key products developed in collaboration with the UK Government:
High Assurance Solutions:
- Secure Endpoint Solutions:
Becrypt OS (formerly known as Paradox): is the most secure enterprise grade operating system in the world. It is the only platform that provides cryptographic assurance that it is in a known-good state at boot-up.
Becrypt Enterprise Manager: is a robust management platform that stands out for its combination of solid security, ease of use, and effective management capabilities.
Becrypt Thin Client: is a secure thin client solution developed in collaboration with partners such as Amulet Hotkey and 10Zig, featuring Becrypt OS and Becrypt Enterprise Manager to enhance endpoint security.
- Cross Domain Solutions:
Becrypt APP-XD: is the first API-centric Cross Domain Solution facilitating secure connections across trust domains, enabling innovative and safe ways of working. Becrypt’s secure endpoint solutions and mobile solutions are fully compatible with Becrypt APP-XD. Furthermore, integration with Glasswall’s CDR (Content Disarm and Reconstruction) technology ensures that all documents imported into controlled environments are in a known good format – free of malware or harmful content.
Becrypt VDI Guard: is a network isolation platform that uses Becrypt’s APP-XD high assurance gateway to protect environments hosting VDI, RDP and SSH services accessed from less trusted networks or devices. It employs Becrypt APP-XD’s network traffic whitelisting capability to enforce valid VDI, RDP or SSH traffic from connecting devices, providing robust protection against a range of elevated threats not addressed by traditional network appliances.
Becrypt Mail: combines a familiar webmail user experience with robust security features, ensuring safe information exchange among collaborating partners across varying levels of trust and information sensitivity.
Becrypt Calendar Sync: ensures secure synchronisation of calendar events across devices while maintaining data protection and adherence to organisational security policies. This facilitates the safe exchange of confidential information across various domains of trust.
- Secure Mobile Solutions:
Becrypt MDM+: is the first Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform compatible with deep packet inspection and secure MDM hosting, reducing the risks and complexities of mobile platforms for high-risk environments.
Becrypt Docs: is an end-to-end solution that enables document, image and data files held within sensitive enterprise environments, such as government ‘high-side’ networks, to be securely accessed from authorised mobile devices, including managed smartphones and tablets.
High Assurance Services:
- Becrypt Secure Endpoint Services: a fully managed service that provides expert support and consultancy to strengthen endpoint security, enabling organisations to deploy solutions quickly and cost-effectively.
- Becrypt Collaborative Work Environment: is an accredited secure collaborative workspace with sovereign UK cloud hosting enabling safe collaboration among teams and organisations.
- Becrypt Bespoke Services: are tailored cybersecurity solutions to meet unique organisation needs.
Reflecting on the importance of cybersecurity, Becrypt’s CEO, Dr Bernard Parsons MBE, stated, “In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, our mission is to empower organisations with the tools they need to operate securely.
08 Nov 24. CSIR and Sysdel collaborate on new Acepod electronic warfare pod for the SAAF. Armscor, the South African Air Force (SAAF) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was unveiled at September’s Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition.
The Acepod, designed by Sysdel of Centurion and supported by Armscor and the SAAF, marks a significant advance in the country’s airborne defence capabilities. The CSIR played a crucial role in integrating and testing the pod on the SAAF’s Hawk Mk 120 aircraft.
The Acepod, short for Airborne Countermeasure and ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) Pod, is a technology demonstrator funded by the SAAF and acquisition agency Armscor. Its primary function is to develop and demonstrate advanced electronic warfare technology, while also providing crucial training to EW and radar personnel. This is critical for the SAAF, enabling the development of strategies and expertise in operating with jamming equipment.
Sysdel specialises in the development, manufacture and support of Electronic Warfare systems in the radar domain. Although Sysdel led the design of the original Acepod Mk 1, the CSIR was brought in to support integration, specifically focusing on adapting the pod to the fast jet environment. Sysdel’s experience in electronic warfare systems was complemented by the CSIR’s expertise in aircraft integration, as the latter tackled challenges like aerodynamics, physical constraints and flight requirements. The CSIR’s primary task was to address the physical challenges posed by the pod’s size and weight while not being involved in the pod’s internal electronics.
One of the major challenges faced during development was the size of the pod. Weighing 326 kilograms and stretching over three and a half meters in length, the pod is the heaviest payload ever integrated onto a South African Hawk. This posed unique challenges, particularly given the limited ground clearance of the Hawk’s relatively low undercarriage. To address this, the CSIR developed a custom trolley to safely load and mount the pod under the aircraft’s centre pylon.
Despite these challenges, the integration process was completed at a fraction of the cost that would have been charged by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The CSIR’s work on the Acepod Mk 2 resulted in the development of a new methodology for integrating large payloads onto fast jets, which has since been patented.
The first flight test of the Acepod Mk 2 took place in March this year. Primary envelope expansion tests have demonstrated the pod’s compatibility with the Hawk, confirming its structural and operational integrity in flight. The next phase, involving the testing of the pod’s actual jamming payload, is scheduled for early next year. This timeline depends on the availability of testing facilities in South Africa, including critical vibration tests that will further validate the pod’s performance.
The pod requires considerable support from the aircraft to function, as it draws power from the Hawk to run its onboard systems. The collaborative effort between Sysdel, the CSIR and the SAAF’s Test Flight and Development Centre (TFDC) was essential in overcoming these technical hurdles, with the CSIR orchestrating the process in close coordination with the Air Force’s Directorate System Integrity.
The Acepod Mk 2 represents a major leap in South Africa’s electronic warfare capabilities. The SAAF has never had access to such a powerful jamming pod and once fully operational, the pod will significantly enhance the SAAF’s ability to conduct EW missions and safeguard its airspace against evolving threats. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
08 Nov 24. L3Harris Electronic Warfare System Completes Safety of Flight Testing. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) has completed Safety of Flight (SOF) qualification on its Viper Shield™ all-digital electronic warfare (EW) suite for F-16 fighter jets. The company will provide the advanced capability to F-16 fleets for six international partners.
The Viper Shield system passed a series of environmental and electrical tests across structural integrity, thermal and electrical safety, and aircraft aerodynamics areas. Through the extensive SOF regimen, Viper Shield handled the stresses and strains of normal and extreme flight maneuvers, and the company proved it to be safe, reliable and effective on the aircraft.
“Completing the comprehensive SOF evaluation is a significant milestone for Viper Shield and for our growing list of global customers,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “This critical electronic warfare system will begin flight testing soon, and we will start delivering the capability in late 2025.”
Viper Shield equips aircrews and commanders with situational awareness about the electronic landscape and helps them identify, locate and counter threats to enable survivability and lethality in the most challenging environments. It is the only advanced EW solution that is funded and in active production for international F-16 partners. By design, L3Harris engineered Viper Shield to allow for future capability upgrades, ensuring it can adjust to an evolving electromagnetic spectrum environment. (Source: ASD Network)
08 Nov 24. Cyber Update Key points.
- The distribution of fake videos to undermine trust in the 5 November US presidential election highlights mis- and dis-information risks.
- The increased use of the ‘Quad7’ botnet to conduct password spray attacks will elevate security risks posed by the Chinese-nexus group ‘Storm-0904’.
- Evolving tactics from the Iranian state-sponsored group ‘Cotton Sandstorm’ will elevate security risks to global entities
- The new banking trojan ‘ToxicPanda’ increases financial risks to Android users.
- The breach of a Singaporean telecommunications provider will elevate security and disruption risks from Chinese state-sponsored groups.
Technical analysis of weekly stories
The new banking trojan ToxicPanda is targeting Android mobile users in France, Italy, Latin America, Portugal and Spain in a financially motivated campaign. ToxicPanda manipulates Android accessibility services using on-device fraud (ODF) techniques; this allows the trojan to escalate privileges and take full control over compromised systems to manipulate user inputs and capture data from mobile applications. The trojan can bypass security mechanisms to intercept one-time passwords and two-factor authentication to hijack user mobile banking accounts. This enables threat actors to initiate fraudulent money transfers to garner illicit profit while employing obfuscation techniques (such as code-hiding techniques) to evade detection. Other ToxicPanda capabilities include taking screenshots and key-logging inputs as well as converting images to send back to the actors’ command-and-control (C2) infrastructure. The trojan notably shares similarities with another malware strain, ‘TgToxic’. However, ToxicPanda displays limited obfuscation techniques and incomplete code elements, suggesting that the malware may still be in a development phase given the lack of technical sophistication compared to TgToxic. The actors behind this campaign are likely of Chinese origin, highlighting a potential shift in Chinese cyber criminal tactics since they do not typically conduct banking fraud operations against Europe and Latin America.
The Iranian state-sponsored group Cotton Sandstorm has shifted its tactics since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war and amid recent regional escalations in the Middle East. While Cotton Sandstorm’s modus operandi typically includes data-leak operations primarily against Israeli and US organisations, the group has recently widened its victim pool to also include France and Sweden. The actors also impersonated a legitimate technology company to infiltrate and exfiltrate data from IP cameras since the Paris 2024 Olympics, underscoring an expansion of its targeted assets. The same fake company has been used to provide other Middle Eastern cyber threat groups with resources and infrastructure since at least mid-2023, suggesting that Iranian state-sponsored groups may increase their level co-operation with other groups in future. This encompassed several Europe-based servers used by Lebanon-based individuals to host Hamas-affiliated websites. Cotton Sandstorm also used other fake online personas to conduct malicious cyber activity against adversaries under the guise of hacktivism. Additionally, the group has adopted generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create fake online content pertaining to the Israel-Hamas war.
Some non-exhaustive recommendations to mitigate against these threats include:
- Monitor devices and networks for suspicious activity
- Add available Indicators-of-Compromise (IoCs) to your organisation’s security detection systems to detect potentially malicious samples on the network
- Adopt behaviour-based end-point detection and response (EDR) solutions, prioritising the detection of the initial stages of a compromise
- Ensure adequate security monitoring and detection capabilities, particularly for all external-facing services and devices; this includes personal devices connected to corporate networks or applications
- Adopt and review network authentication services including virtual private network (VPN) services and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Our cyber word(s) of the week: Small office/home office (SOHO) routers
(Source: Sibylline)
08 Nov 24. At Euronaval Indra unveiled its signals intelligence (SIGINT) solution designed to adapt to the characteristics of military vessels. At Euronaval, the naval industry trade fair being held in Paris this week, Indra has unveiled its signals intelligence solution (SIGINT), specially designed to adapt to the characteristics of any type of military vessel and bolster its protection against potential threats.
The system detects both radar and communications signals, and its size, weight and power consumption has been streamlined for its installation on virtually any vessel, from patrol vessels that have been in service for several years to newly built ships. The system can operate in isolation, in the case of vessels with less electronic equipment, or integrated in the complex network of sensors on board state-of-the-art vessels. All of its threat detection, analysis, classification and identification functions have been automated for simpler operation.
Maria del Mar Pomares, responsible for this solution at Indra, explains that “with this system we provide any ship and navy with capabilities that until now were reserved only for the most advanced vessels or those specialising in intelligence work” and adds that “at Indra we believe that no ship can operate without this type of system, which is essential to detect attacks with enough time to react”.
Indra has been working for decades with major shipyards and marinas around the world, including those in countries such as Spain, Germany, Norway, Italy, India, South Korea and Mexico. Among the ships operating with its systems are the F100 frigates and the LHD Juan Carlos I of the Spanish Navy. It is currently working on the development of some of the sensors that the future F110 Frigate will carry, which will be housed in an integrated mast that has been specially designed to reduce the size occupied by radar and provide the ship with the greatest possible stealth.
With this electronic intelligence system, Indra brings to market a solution that includes advanced features derived from this extensive experience. The new system is capable of monitoring the entire electromagnetic band simultaneously and detecting low probability intercept (LPI) signals used by ships and submarines trying to hide themselves. It is set up to operate in environments where the adversary tries to conceal its presence and has an extensive library to compare the signals collected and identify the type of radar or communications system involved. (Source: joint-forces.com)
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Spectra Group (UK) Ltd
Spectra Group (UK) Ltd, internationally renowned award-winning information security and communications specialist with a proven record of accomplishment.
Spectra is a dynamic, agile and security-accredited organisation that offers secure Hosted and Managed Solutions and Cyber Advisory Services with a track record of delivering on time, to spec and on budget.
With over 15 years of experience in delivering solutions for governments around the globe, elite militaries and private enterprises of all sizes, Spectra’s platinum and gold-level partnerships with third-party vendors ensure the supply of best value leading-edge technology.
Spectra was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019 for SlingShot.
In November 2017, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd announced its listing as a Top 100 Government SME Supplier by the UK Crown Commercial Services.
Spectra’s CEO, Simon Davies, was awarded 2017 Businessman of the Year by Battlespace magazine.
Founded in 2002, the Company is based in Hereford, UK and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation.
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