vIPer secured phone to add PSTN capability

Published: Aug. 8, 2008 at 6:49 PM
Order reprints
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Security Agency has contracted General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) C4 Systems to implement network technologies on the Universal Secure Phone.

The contract, worth $2.8 million, is for General Dynamics to integrate a new public switched telephone network technology to the NSA Sectera vIPer secured phone. Officials say the new network technology is an effort to securely connect vIPer phones with unsecured telephone lines.

The secure vIPer Phone is the NSA's voice-over Internet protocol phone certified to send top secret classified information over the network. With the PSTN added to the vIPer phones, officials will be able to use either VoIP networks or the PSTN.

"The idea behind PSTN Connect is to provide users with a flexibility they don't have today," John Cole, General Dynamics C4 Systems vice president of information assurance, said in a statement.

"It's about protecting our customers' investments by providing a product that will accommodate evolving communications technologies."


© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Panetta: Congress not told of CIA program (18 min)
Biden goes on the road to defend stimulus (29 min)
The two-edged sword of online games (33 min)
Rio Tinto employees face spy charges (35 min)
Ghana prepared to greet Obama (46 min)
ATVs aren't toys, parents should supervise (48 min)
Rescuers should know how to swim (53 min)
fark
"Resident found out it's not OK to shoot raccoons and gerbils...He told police that he and his neighbors...
Thousands homeless after China Quake. Quisp unavailable for comment
Ugly-ass okapi born at Denver Zoo. In fact, "okapi" means "ugly-ass" in Swahili
If you find a live grenade in your newly purchased vehicle, you probably shouldn't wait a month...
Family tries to lure back lost dog by spraying their own urine all over town. They then want to...
"Oh damn." Obama caught blatantly ogling some of the nicer scenery at the G8 summit, while Sarkozy...