U.S. Coast Guard Selects Unisys USB-Based SSVT Stealth Solution for Secure Virtual Terminal

January 16, 2012

The U.S. Coast Guard recently purchased 100 units of the Unisys Stealth Solution for Secure Virtual Terminal (SSVT) which allows mobile workers to securely access agency networks and data while traveling and between deployments.

The Unisys SSVT can help keep a mobile user’s data secure and readily available only to those authorized to view the data. SSVT combines the power of Unisys Stealth Solution for Network with a customized, dedicated and portable federal government-certified USB device. Users plug the SSVT unit into the USB ports of their laptops or mobile devices to securely boot up and establish network connections with an enterprise network.

SSVT creates virtual “communities of interest” – groups that can share the same physical or virtual network without fear of another group accessing their data or workstations and servers. By assigning a cryptographic key to each community of interest, Stealth can “go dark” on the network and secure the endpoint so it cannot be detected by anyone other than those authorized as part of a community of interest.

The SSVT devices can allow Coast Guard reservists, for example, to work remotely and keep up with their active-duty applications between their weekend and annual two-week reservist duties. SSVT can significantly cut costs compared to the Coast Guard’s traditional use of virtual private networks combined with smart cards for remote access.

“There is a demand from Coast Guard senior officers and civilians to connect securely to apps and email while on frequent travel,” said Steve Soroka, managing partner, Homeland Security, Unisys Federal Systems. “The underlying Unisys Stealth technology has been certified by the federal government as a secure solution for protection of data-in-motion across any network, so Coast Guard users can feel confident their data will remain secure while they are working remotely.”

SSVT contains the SecureParser technology created by Security First which cryptographically splits data (encrypts and “bit-splits” data, adds authentication and fault tolerant information) into multiple packets as it moves through the network and to storage devices, and then authenticates and reassembles the information packets for delivery exclusively to authorized users.