What's required to go encrypted?

[Gilligan]

A couple of questions for you Motorola experts...

I was just thinking about how many departments now have P25 trunked systems and how only a few channels are usually encrypted, unless they decide to encrypted the whole department. Do all P25 radios have the ability to go encrypted? Or are they more expensive options on nicer radios?

Let's say there's a citywide P25 system. Police and fire are all digital. City services are analog. But detectives and tactical channels are encrypted. Do those people using the detective/tactical talkgroups have more expensive radios than other officers? Or do they have to have a special encrypted feature installed? If all radios can go encrypted, then why wouldn't they just encrypt all the police talkgroups?

On another note, and this is for Motorola but not for trunking, I notice the federal agencies often choose whether or not to work clear voice or encrypted on their conventional radios. Why would they choose to work in the clear if they have the encryption option available?

I know some of the feds are using older Spectras and such. What kinds of Motorolas are they installing new for federal agencies? In other words, if Spectra is outdated, what would be the typical new radio (handheld and mobile) a federal agent would get if his agency was all conventional and required clear voice, DES encryption, and P25 digital on VHF/UHF?

 

[Josh]

Pretty much all P25 radios can do encryption. I can't think of one that isn't capable of it.

All encryption requires a UCM (Universal Cryptography Module) installed in the radio, the feature enabled in the radio via software, and a key loaded to the radio either directly with a KVL (Key Variable Loader) or over the air via OTAR (Over The Air Rekeying).

Someone else can answer the other quesitons

 

[Gilligan]

Is it much more expensive to have that UCM module installed?

 

[mancow]

A couple of questions for you Motorola experts...

I was just thinking about how many departments now have P25 trunked systems and how only a few channels are usually encrypted, unless they decide to encrypted the whole department. Do all P25 radios have the ability to go encrypted? Or are they more expensive options on nicer radios?

Most all P-25 units that I know of have the option. Some have the hardware already installed like the EF Johnsons and the Thales units. Motorola equipment requires a crypto module be installed.

Channels are ecrypted by choice. If the users have the option installed they can flip the switch and encrypt.

Let's say there's a citywide P25 system. Police and fire are all digital. City services are analog. But detectives and tactical channels are encrypted. Do those people using in the detective/tactical talkgroups have more expensive radios than other officers? Or do they have to have a special encrypted feature installed? If all radios can go encrypted, then why wouldn't they just encrypt all the police talkgroups?

If it's a true P25 system then all will be digital and analog won't be used. Some 3600 bps systems use a mix of analog and digital. The trunking units that have been available for the last several years from Motorola have been digital capable as long as they have the proper firmware and flash installed. But, it is possible the analog users are still using older MTS2000 vintage units and the digital users have been provided XTS or digital saber series radios capable of digital operations. So, it may be a slow migration toward digital and they are upgrading the units that need it the most first to save money.

On another note, and this is for Motorola but not for trunking, I notice the federal agencies often choose whether or not to work clear voice or encrypted on their conventional radios. Why would they choose to work in the clear if they have the encryption option available?

It's possible that someone in the group forgot to flip the secure switch. I hear that at times. Or, maybe they have older equipment and they are tired of trying to keep it keyed. I've seen that too. Old analog sabers don't have infinite key retention capability so once somone lets the radio die or removes the battery for too long the key is lost. In addition to all of that, analog Securenet sounds like crap and has range issues. It really limits the range when using portables inside vehicles.

I know some of the feds are using older Spectras and such. What kinds of Motorolas are they installing new for federal agencies? In other words, if Spectra is outdated, what would be the typical new radio (handheld and mobile) a federal agent would get if his agency was all conventional and required clear voice, DES encryption, and P25 digital on VHF/UHF?

The typical Motorola unit issued today is the XTS-5000 portable and the XTL-5000 mobile. They are capable of all of the above and the portables can be flashed for front panel keyboard programming (FPP).

 

[mikewazowski]

All encryption requires a UCM (Universal Cryptography Module) installed in the radio, the feature enabled in the radio via software, and a key loaded to the radio either directly with a KVL (Key Variable Loader) or over the air via OTAR (Over The Air Rekeying).

ADP encryption does not require a module and keys can be loaded from CPS.

 

[Gilligan]

But if the department is using trunked radios, do the officers who are on encrypted talkgroups have to have advanced radios that allow encryption? Or do most officers have the ability to go encrypted if they felt like it.

 

[mikegilbert]

ADP encryption does not require a module and keys can be loaded from CPS.

Beat me to it

ADP is pretty cool; no UCM and it does multikey!

In fact...I'm using ADP right now:

 

[W0JJK]

But if the department is using trunked radios, do the officers who are on encrypted talk groups have to have advanced radios that allow encryption? Or do most officers have the ability to go encrypted if they felt like it.

You can make a talk group selectable encryption but most I know of are strapped secure so the user can not make it unsecure on accident.

 

[N4DES]

It can be strapped either on the radio or via a system TG programming in the controller.
I have the ability to take a talk-group and only allow secure communications on it. Should a user in the clear attempt to access it the user will get rejected. The tweo other settings are "only clear" and "both".

Doing this removes the issue of a single user operating in the clear by accident while everyone else is encrypted if the clear/secure switch is active in the radio.

 

[N4DES]

But if the department is using trunked radios, do the officers who are on encrypted talkgroups have to have advanced radios that allow encryption? Or do most officers have the ability to go encrypted if they felt like it.

There is no clear answer to your question due to the different versions of systems and different models of radios that are currently in use.