In modern military operations, the need for reliable and robust data transmission is paramount, especially when operating in the field under unpredictable and hostile conditions. To ensure mission success, military personnel require secure, encrypted communication that can function over a variety of communication mediums, including radio, satellite, cellular, or even ad-hoc networks in environments with minimal infrastructure.
A huge change in military theatre has been the effective use of Drones and Drone technologies. To enable effective and responsive real time control of a drone requires low latency communication for both command and video feedback. In the past real time video, even from a military drone, was delivered unencrypted due to the performance hit of encryption and decryption on the data stream, Brand’s extremely small footprint low latency implementation of it’s military grade encryption technology has changed all that with video and all dialog with the drone now viable and effective using the highest level of security avalable today. In addition, the seamless management of communication bearers, makes the Brand solution the go to platform for secure, often multi discipline, secure telematics.
Brand has also developed a Push to Talk platform that can run over any bearer technology with inter force gateways, multi level priority and self healing Mesh Networking to recover communication paths should primary paths fail of be lost.
One of the core requirements for military communication is encryption, which ensures that data transmitted over any medium is protected from interception or unauthorized access. End-to-end encryption is typically used, meaning that data is encrypted before transmission and can only be decrypted by the intended recipient. This safeguards sensitive information from being compromised, even if adversaries manage to intercept the communications. Military-grade encryption standards, such as ECC (Elliptic Curve Encryption Standard) and various classified protocols, are employed to ensure that all communication remains secure and impenetrable to eavesdropping. Brand Communications was the first Company to ever deliver Elliptic Curve Cryptography in commercial products and it’s standard product today uses ECC512 both in Military and Critical Infrastructure settings.
ECC512 refers to Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) with a 512-bit key length. ECC is an approach to public-key cryptography that uses the mathematics of elliptic curves to provide the same level of security as traditional methods, like RSA, but with much shorter key lengths, making it more efficient.
Key Features of ECC512:
1. High Security with Shorter Keys:
ECC512 offers a high level of security equivalent to much longer RSA keys. For example, a 512-bit ECC key provides roughly the same security as a 15,360-bit RSA key. This efficiency makes ECC an attractive option, especially in environments where computing power, memory, and bandwidth are constrained.
2. Efficient Performance:
ECC512 is computationally more efficient than RSA and other older encryption methods. This is particularly important in systems like mobile devices, IoT devices, or military communication systems where low power consumption and quick computation are critical.
3. Secure Communications:
ECC512 is used to encrypt data, create secure communication channels, and perform secure key exchanges. It is increasingly used in modern cryptographic systems because it provides robust security while minimizing resource usage whilst currently mainstream protocols such as IPSec and SSL have long since been compromised and are easilly challenged by Quantum and none Quantum computing resources.
4. Resistance to Attacks:
Due to the nature of elliptic curve mathematics, ECC is resistant to many forms of cryptographic attacks, such as brute force and index calculus attacks. The use of a 512-bit key length further enhances its security, making it suitable for high-stakes environments where data security is paramount. Currently ECC is also safe from next generation computers such as Quantum based computing. It is not envisaged that a Quantum Computer with enough Qbits will be available to challenge ECC512 in the foreseable future.
In summary, ECC512 provides an excellent balance between security and efficiency, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, including sensitive military and governmental communication, secure online transactions, and resource-constrained devices.
Brand’s development of a Push to Talk (PTT) platform designed to operate over any bearer technology with advanced features like inter-force gateways, multi-level priority, and self-healing mesh networking represents a highly adaptable and resilient solution for secure, real-time communication in dynamic and challenging environments.
Key Features of the Platform:
1. Operates Over Any Bearer Technology:
The PTT platform’s ability to run over any bearer technology (such as cellular, satellite, Wi-Fi, or radio networks) makes it extremely versatile. This means it can adapt to whatever communication infrastructure is available, whether in urban areas with robust cellular coverage or remote regions reliant on satellite or radio frequencies. This flexibility is critical for military, emergency services, or public safety forces, ensuring uninterrupted communication across varying terrain and infrastructure setups.
2. Inter-Force Gateways:
The platform’s inter-force gateway functionality allows seamless communication across different branches or organizations, ensuring that multi-agency operations (e.g., military, police, emergency services) can collaborate effectively. This interoperability is essential in situations that require coordinated responses, such as disaster recovery, peacekeeping missions, or joint military operations.
3. Multi-Level Priority:
The multi-level priority feature enables the system to prioritize communication based on urgency or the hierarchy of the user. For example, mission-critical communications, such as those from commanders or frontline units, can be given higher priority to ensure they are transmitted without delay, even in congested network conditions. This is particularly useful in scenarios where network capacity is limited, ensuring that the most critical information is always relayed promptly.
4. Self-Healing Mesh Networking:
The platform’s self-healing mesh networking capability ensures resilience and reliability. In mesh networks, devices or nodes can communicate directly with each other, allowing data to “hop” between nodes. If a primary communication path fails or is compromised (due to signal disruption, jamming, or physical damage), the mesh network automatically re-routes traffic through alternative paths. This self-healing aspect ensures that communication can be maintained even when parts of the network are lost, increasing the overall reliability of the system in the field.
Benefits for Military and Emergency Operations:
– Enhanced Operational Continuity:
The ability to run over any available bearer technology and the presence of mesh networking ensures that communication remains operational even in hostile or degraded environments.
– Interoperability Across Forces:
The inter-force gateway allows various agencies and military branches to work together seamlessly, improving coordination during joint operations or multi-national missions.
– Prioritization of Critical Communications:
The multi-level priority system guarantees that the most important communications, such as orders from higher command or emergency distress calls, are always given precedence over less critical transmissions.
– Fault Tolerance and Resilience:
The self-healing nature of the mesh network enhances fault tolerance, making the system robust against infrastructure failures, attacks, or disruptions.
Use Cases:
– Military Tactical Communications:
In combat zones, where communication lines are often disrupted, this platform ensures that frontline units and command can stay connected, no matter the environment or infrastructure conditions.
– Emergency Response and Disaster Relief:
In natural disaster scenarios where traditional communication networks may be down, the self-healing mesh network and inter-force gateways enable various responding agencies to maintain seamless coordination.
– Public Safety and Security:
For police, fire, and medical response teams, this PTT platform allows for immediate, priority-based communication, ensuring that critical updates and instructions can be relayed in real-time.
In summary, Brand’s Push to Talk platform with its ability to operate over any medium, multi-force gateways, priority communication, and self-healing mesh networking, provides a highly reliable and secure communication system suited for military, public safety, and emergency response operations, ensuring continuous connectivity in even the most challenging conditions.
