ASCOT, UK. (May 12, 2011) - Officers at the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) are benefitting from military levels of security to communicate from remote locations back to base thanks to a secure communications solution from trusted security provider AEP Networks. Officers in the field are able to send highly confidential data using AEP Networks’ SCOPE SecComm solution ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of their data.

The EU NAVFOR was launched on 8 December 2010 to help protect UN World Food Programme vessels and to deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery. It also focuses on protecting vulnerable shipping and monitoring fishing activities off the coast of Somalia. Officers are deployed remotely and act in accordance with UN Security Councils resolutions.

During field operations, secure communications equipment is airlifted onto participating ships, enabling officers to send highly confidential data securely over the best available network.  AEP Networks’ SCOPE SecComm device determines automatically which network to connect to using predefined policies. Once connected, EU NAVFOR can exploit 3G, broadband or satellite networks to send and receive secure IP traffic. AEP Networks optimises the voice and data in real time to ensure reliable high quality transmission using the least amount of bandwidth.

SCOPE SecComm is a small carry case containing an intelligent communications router, an IPSec encryptor and a rechargeable battery power pack. A pan-European accredited encryption solution, AEP Networks’ SCOPE SecComm is CAPS approved by CESG to NATO, EU and UK Confidential meaning that officers can access restricted and confidential data over widely available public mobile and wireless networks.

“The challenge for any military organisation is to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of every type of communication, one hundred per cent of the time including voice, video and data. There is absolutely no room for error,” said Mark Darvill, director at AEP Networks. “When the successful transmission of data can make the difference between the success and failure of an operation, it’s critical that the European Union Naval Force have the confidence and assurance that everything they transmit is secured to the highest level.”

AEP Networks launched SecComm in April 2009.