…Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 Security Level 1 validation, a cryptographic hardware and software accreditation given by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The HSCK is a common cryptographic engine employed by the Hughes HN9500 satellite terminal and the SPACEWAY 3 Access Gateway for secure communications.
SPACEWAY 3 operates in the Ka-band and today provides broadband connectivity to well over 500,000 subscribers in North America, including consumers, enterprises, and government agencies, making it the world’s largest Ka-band satellite network. Optimized for broadband IP services, the Hughes SPACEWAY 3 system supports a wide variety of applications, from high-speed Internet/Intranet access, to distance learning, video conferencing and emergency preparedness/response. The HSCK cryptographic engine enables secure communications through the following elements:
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Hughes SPACEWAY 3 Access Gateway, which manages uplinks to the satellite and Internet interconnection, employing a proprietary encoding protocol for the outbound channel received by all HN9500 satellite terminals. These terminals then communicate in a single hop back to the Access Gateway or to each other.
HN9500 satellite terminal/router at the customer site delivers carrier-grade broadband IP connectivity with enhanced security, acting as the local access point to the satellite system and overall network infrastructure.
The HSCK provides the following basic functionalities:
- Creation of dynamically-generated shared session keys using Internet Key Exchange
- Establishment and tear down of IP security tunnels between two or more hosts
- Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 128- or 256-bit encryption on all data transfer within the IP security tunnel
- Message authentication and integrity using Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code
In order to expedite the FIPS 140-2 validation process, Hughes partnered with Corsec Security, Inc., a validation consulting firm with over 14 years of validation experience.
The Company has also been selected by Telconet to provide…
…an HX System and broadband satellite terminals for the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Society (Mintel) rural connectivity project in Ecuador. Tomislav Topic, president of Telconet, said, “We conducted a thorough evaluation of competing satellite broadband system providers and were convinced that Hughes not only had the best technology for this program, but also the depth of experience and the ability to deliver in a timely fashion. We are excited about this network connecting rural and underserved areas in Ecuador, bringing to these isolated communities, Internet access, data, voice, and video applications for the first time.”
Telconet purchased an HX System hub and HX50 and HX200 terminals, and installation of the network has been completed.
