NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Web Page sponsor Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
09 Nov 04. TRL Technology Ltd, part of the TRL Electronics plc group, has commenced volume production of CATAPAN High Grade TOP SECRET network ATM cryptographic devices, as part of its recently announced Sterling £1+ million MoD order. TRL Technology’s CATAPAN units will be utilised to protect and secure MoD overseas networks, building on existing implementations throughout the UK. CATAPAN is already installed in a number of critical, extremely sensitive links and networks, with further expansion planned in the coming months. TRL Technology’s CATAPAN crypto is fully CESG (GCHQ) approved to protect information up to and including TOP SECRET CODEWORD. CATAPAN can secure 200 cryptographically separate connections across any ATM network, operating at a speed of 155Mbps. Recent trials have demonstrated CATAPAN’s compatibility with a range of other devices, including Promina, Cisco, Fore and Passport devices – ensuring complete flexibility for applications involving integration with existing network elements. CATAPAN’s ability to secure real-time requirements was also proved during a trial with the Marconi ViPr video conferencing system, which provides DVD-quality video and sound between a large number of users. At present, CATAPAN is the only UK device capable of securing ViPr at TOP SECRET CODEWORD level, due to the significant amount of bandwidth required. TRL Technology has also significantly streamlined the system maintenance usually associated with encryption, which involves updating the system manually with key material on a sometimes weekly or daily basis. With CATAPAN, the periodic key filling process can be handled remotely – as such, CATAPAN represents a first and highly significant step towards fit-and-forget broadband cryptos.