Biodata, sole distributor of German encryption specialist DICA Technologies, announces that DICA has launched a GSM gateway, which allows encrypted interconnections between subscribers of the mobile and the fixed network.
Mobile devices of the ScryptGuard GSM series are dedicated phones using standard encryption algorithms. To establish an encrypted call from one to another mobile subscriber, both need a phone of the ScryptGuard-GSM series. For encrypted communication into a fixed network, a gateway is necessary.
The DICA ScryptGuard Crypto-Gateway does not only enable encrypted interconnections between subscribers of the mobile and the fixed network, but also allows a defined number of secured telephone conferences for up to 30 mobile subscribers or at least 60 subscribers of the fixed network and mobile network.
Encrypted calls are always secured with 256-bit keys using AES and Twofish running as counter mode stream ciphers. Using both AES and Twofish provides a much stronger encryption than using only one algorithm. For the highly unlikely case that a weakness is detected in one of the algorithms, the second algorithm still provides sufficient security. The use of two strong algorithms is a unique feature of the ScryptGuard-GSM series that provides a "fallback" within the crypto-system design.
The key required for each call is generated using a 4096-bit Diffie-Hellman shared secret exchange, hashing the resulting 4096 bits to the 256-bit session key by means of SHA256. To prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, a six-digit hash is generated from the Diffie-Hellman result and displayed as a password to the user. The user then reads three digits over the encrypted line to the communication partner and verifies the three digits, which the communication partner reads to him. If there is a discrepancy in the six digits, a man-in-the-middle attack has been detected. All key material is securely erased immediately after the call ends.
Mobile phones of the ScryptGuard-GSM series run on top of a heavily hardened and stripped-down Microsoft Windows Mobile environment system. DICA removed applications, communication stacks and system parts that are not necessary for the operation and which may cause potential security problems.
Four ROM-based security profiles make it possible to use a ScryptGuard mobile as a smartphone, with crypto functionality or a dedicated crypto mobile phone for clear for encrypted voice communication and SMS transmission. However, mobile phones of the ScryptGuard-GSM series cannot protect against the detection of your IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) or the recording of numbers called or calling.
For more information, please contact Ingrid Reimsch"ussel at Biodata IT on (011) 234-3650.
Share
Dica Technologies - http://www.dica.de
Dica Technologies, a German company with headquarters in Dresden and partners around the world, specialises in the development of encryption solutions for important business-to-business applications.
The company produces a complete line of state-of-the-art hardware encryption products and has gained worldwide recognition as the only company to provide continuous, end-to-end ISDN voice encryption between US, Japanese and Canadian ISDN networks and all other globally used networks.
Biodata IT - http://www.biodata.co.za
Biodata IT South Africa is a distributor of a wide range of best-of-breed IT security solutions. Highly specialised and experienced staff as well as a network of skilled channel partners are dedicated to protect and to add value to your IT infrastructure.
The client base of Biodata IT South Africa comprises over 200 leading organisations in the financial, healthcare, government and industrial sectors based in countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
Editorial contacts