Aruba MOVE Architecture Gains Classified Thumbs Up from Feds

It turns out even G-men want to get some work done on their smartphones. And now, thanks to Aruba Networks, they can.

Aruba is expanding its MOVE architecture for mobile devices to the government space, announcing support for the government-sanctioned Suite B cryptography standard. That means government organizations that could not use mobile devices because of the classified nature of their data now can, with the blessing of Uncle Sam.

“The key enabling technology is the ability for commercial mobile devices to be used not just for unclassified environments but also now classified environments,” said Dave Logan, vice president of Government Solutions at Aruba. “We’ve built a number of capabilities into out existing product architecture … to easily provision and ensure policy compliance with mobile devices according to government standards. Now, we can build a single mobility architecture to support both classified and unclassified data.”

The enabling technology is Suite B cryptography, a set of protocols that are stronger and more secure than the RSA methods of encryption, are faster to operate and are standards-based technology. Plus, Logan said, Suite B cryptography is actually commercially available and therefore less expensive than the traditionally proprietary technologies the government relied upon.

Suite B cryptography came about as part of the U.S. National Security Agency’s Commercial Solutions Partnership Program (CSPP), which it implemented in 2009 to enable commercial wireless and mobility technology as well as commercial applications such as VoIP for use in classified environments. “This is where the real opportunity for the resellers exist – because the federal government is moving away from proprietary solutions there will be strong demand for design and integration services across the board,” Logan said. “We expect a significant surge in the demand for both products and integration services.”

Technologies that meet the standards for CSPP can be implemented in organizations that deal with data in unclassified and classified environments – where, incidentally, about 80 percent of the work in the federal government takes place. “It’s at the ‘secret’ level, not ‘top secret.’  So if agent is in the field and wants to have a conversation with the Embassy in Karachi, he doesn’t want to have to go back to desk to make that call.” Now, with MOVE, he doesn’t have to, he said.

“This is transformational for the government,” Logan continued. “I have been working in this space for a few years and it’s like the NSA flipped the light switch by implementing the Commercial Solutions program.”

Suite B cryptography support is now included in MOVE and in the VIA (Virtual Internet Access) client, and existing customers can download the software upgrade.

“I’m confident government VARs will see a significant demand from government agencies,” Logan said. “It will provide connectivity and application capabilities to government workers who just don’t have it today. I know I said it already but this is truly transformational.”