Canadian Department of National Defence uses technology from UK-based Nexor to deploy secure military messaging solution

Military Message Handling System ensures confidentiality, integrity and guaranteed delivery of email across Canadian Armed Forces

30th October 2002: The Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) is deploying a secure Military Message Handling System (MMHS) for personnel involved in the exchange of confidential mission-critical information, categorised by the military as 'secret messaging'. The infrastructure, which uses technology from Nexor, will guarantee message confidentiality, integrity and delivery and will be deployed across all Canadian Armed Forces' bases, supporting up to 10,000 users.

US-based General Dynamics Decision Systems, chosen by the Canadian DND to oversee and manage the integration project, selected Nexor to deliver the functionality required to provide secure interpersonal, organizational and role-based messaging using Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) products. Integrated within the existing Microsoft 2000 / Exchange 2000 environment, the MMHS delivers email confidentiality, content integrity, non-repudiation, access control and security domain checking.

"Managing the confidentiality of email within this environment is of the greatest importance," explains Humphrey Browning, Head of Technical Consultancy at Nexor. "Any MMHS must be built around a 'fire and forget' mentality; the assurance that once a message is sent it will be actioned within a specified time period and that during transit it is secure from third parties. In addition, any messaging system has to be highly reliable and fault tolerant. Nexor has used COTS products, originally designed with military messaging in mind, ensuring features such as speed of service, accountability and reliability are maintained."

The system incorporates advanced security labelling techniques to ensure the accurate classification of information and that the associated security procedures and policies for encryption, authorisation and access control are automatically executed.

Secure roles-based messaging is conducted on an individual basis, this eliminates the need for users to hold multiple cryptographic keys for each role they perform. By limiting the number of cryptographic keys held by individuals, the technology limits the opportunities for the integrity of the service to be breached by lost or mismanaged keys. Nexor S/MIME security can also generate tokens for third party applications such as guard or gateway solutions. This ensures that vital security checks such as virus scanning of content filtering can still be carried out, despite the message being encrypted.

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About Nexor
Nexor provides high assurance messaging and directory solutions to the government, military, finance and telecommunications markets. Founded in 1990, Nexor specialises in providing solutions in environments where it is absolutely critical that a message gets through, where the existing infrastructure is typically complex and where the need for performance, reliability and scalability are paramount. Nexor's range of messaging solutions provides backbone support, gateway connectivity, secure messaging systems, managed messaging platforms and directory systems.

Nexor customers can be found in Europe, North America, Canada and Australia and covers a range of commercial and military organisations. The US Army, CIA, NSA, Canadian DoD and Government of Canada all utilise Nexor technology, as do the UK MoD, GCHQ and armed forces.

More information can be found at www.nexor.com

About General Dynamics Decision Systems
General Dynamics Decision Systems, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is a leader in technologies, products and systems for communications, situational awareness and information assurance for defense and industrial customers in the U.S. and abroad. More information about the business unit can be found at www.gd-decisionsystems.com. General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 54,000 people worldwide and had 2001 revenues of $12 billion. The company has leading market positions in land and amphibious combat systems, mission-critical information systems and technologies, shipbuilding and marine systems, and business aviation. More information about the company can be found at www.generaldynamics.com.

Press & Analysts contacts:

Nexor                                                                                                                                    
Liz Thomas
Nexor
Tel +44 (0) 115 952 0500
Email: mailto:liz.thomas@nexor.com

Andrew Durkin / Tim De Luca-Smith
MUSTARD PR
Tel: +44 (0) 1753 889100
Email: mailto:tim@mustardpr.com

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