Cassidian Ectocryp Black classified as secure

Following a successful evaluation, Cassidian has announced that its Ectocryp Black has been approved as a US DoD secure communications device.  

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has listed the device on the Unified Capabilities Approved Products List (UC APL) as a DoD Secure Communications Device, Cassidian announced on 18 July.

This listing was the result of an evaluation that was carried out by the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC), which resulted in the voice encryption device being granted an Approval to Operate by the National Security Agency in 2012. 

During the 2012 testing at Fort Huachuca, US, it proved it could work with existing equipment in use by the US government. DISA recommended certification following the positive testing on 31 October of that year.

This DISA accreditation will expire on 12 December 2015, although this could happen at an earlier date if a critical issue arises that invalidates the interoperability of the device, DISA noted in an online memo.

‘The high capacity and flexibility of Ectocryp Black will make secure, interoperable voice communications possible for the US government on a larger scale than ever before,’ said Sean O’Keefe, EADS North America chairman and CEO, in a statement.

DISA Voice Services also signed an agreement to purchase three Ectocryp Black devices on 22 May, and the units have been delivered to two DISA Defense Enterprise Computing Centres. 

Ectocryp Black is a high-capacity encryption device, which has four T1 interfaces and allows for 92 simultaneous, individual calls per unit and the ability to store hundreds of Cipher keys, the company said. 

‘Through the device, users on unclassified networks equipped with Secure Communications Interoperability Protocol (SCIP)-compliant phones can communicate transparently with secured enclaves and engage in enterprise services, such as secure teleconferencing with multiple locations,’ the statement explained.