Lowell PD Uses Columbitech Mobile VPN to Keep Wireless Data Safe in Compliance with CJIS
New York, NY (PRWEB) August 12, 2013 -- Columbitech Inc., a leading mobile VPN security provider, announced today that the police department of Lowell, Mass. uses the Columbitech Mobile VPN to access criminal data in compliance with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Justice Information Services policy.
With mobile devices becoming as powerful as laptops, Lowell PD has equipped its police officers with Apple iPads and iPhones to access computer-aided dispatch information. The software PublicEye (formerly PolicePad) from Zco provides a secure link to monitor 911 calls and access criminal databases, including warrants, driver and vehicle information, registered firearms, and criminal history. The software also allows police to monitor surveillance cameras as well as access public social media feeds within their jurisdiction. The Columbitech Mobile VPN has been integrated with PublicEye to ensure that information accessed through the app is kept secure in compliance with the CJIS policy.
The Columbitech Mobile VPN is FIPS 140-2-validated and provides end-to-end encryption of wirelessly transmitted data, with support for two-factor authentication as required by the CJIS policy. In addition, session persistence ensures that police officers stay connected through temporary coverage glitches and when devices roam between cellular and Wi-Fi networks. The mobile VPN automatically restores the session with no need to reauthenicate.
Mobile users include patrol officers, detectives, command staff, traffic bureau, special units and task force units, with a total of up to 70 users.
“Our police officers are no longer tied to their computers in the cars. PublicEye secured by Columbitech Mobile VPN, allows police officers to access CJIS data from their iPads and iPhones, helping them to fight crimes more efficiently while staying safe,” says Craig Withycombe, police officer and information technology manager at the Lowell police department.
“With the Columbitech Mobile VPN, law enforcement agencies now use PublicEye on their iPhones, iPads and Android devices to confidently access CJIS data, running checks on licenses, boats, guns and vehicles,” says Gary Mueller, vice president of business development for Zco. “The Columbitech solution has become a popular solution for our customers to meet FBI CJIS audit requirements.”
“The Columbitech Mobile VPN enables public safety agencies to protect all mobile devices, including Apple, Android and Windows devices, with one single solution,” explains Tobias Englund, president of Columbitech. “Unlike information broadcasted on the police radio, the Columbitech Mobile VPN is transmitting data on a secure link that cannot be overheard.”
About Columbitech
Columbitech protects the entire workforce with one FIPS-validated VPN solution. With more than two million users, customers include three of the top 10 U.S. retailers, public safety agencies, all U.S. military branches and telecom providers. Columbitech is privately held, with offices in Stockholm and New York.
Tobias Englund, Columbitech Inc., http://www.columbitech.com, +1 646-331-0116, [email protected]
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