JethrowJohnson
I love P25
Hi everybody, does each individual radio in police and fire departments have the ability to switch between clear and secure modes on a non-encrypted channel even when everyone else is in the clear?
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Clear/Secure Switch?
- Thread starter JethrowJohnson
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Depends on how it’s programmed.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
3 general options:
1. No encryption programmed into radio.
2. Encryption is switchable (on or off)
3. Encryption is "strapped" or: Always on.
The problem with the switch is that it is way too easy for a radio user to forget to turn it on or off. Yeah, you can program tones/lights to remind the user, but there is zero security in communications if you allow users to turn it on or off, because someone will -always- forget to turn it on.
It's more common for encryption to be "strapped". That is, it's programmed so that channels/talkgroups are -always- encrypted.
That's the 10,000 foot view, overly generalized. There's a ton of details involved. Most radios will permit many different encryption keys to be stored in the radio, so channels that are encrypted can have different encryption keys.
1. No encryption programmed into radio.
2. Encryption is switchable (on or off)
3. Encryption is "strapped" or: Always on.
The problem with the switch is that it is way too easy for a radio user to forget to turn it on or off. Yeah, you can program tones/lights to remind the user, but there is zero security in communications if you allow users to turn it on or off, because someone will -always- forget to turn it on.
It's more common for encryption to be "strapped". That is, it's programmed so that channels/talkgroups are -always- encrypted.
That's the 10,000 foot view, overly generalized. There's a ton of details involved. Most radios will permit many different encryption keys to be stored in the radio, so channels that are encrypted can have different encryption keys.
One more point to add. At least for MSI subscribers. even you are in the clear mode, as long as the key of the transmitting unit is in the radio it will still decode it if they are coded.
JethrowJohnson
I love P25
Well the Ohio State Highway Patrol has encrypted channels but their dispatch channels are all in the clear, but there's been a few times when I could hear the dispatcher but I couldn't hear one of the troopers and I think it's because they can switch whenever they need to and, personally, I like that setup of having clear dispatch channels with the option to secure any time and E tac channels.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Yeah, there's a lot of ways to set this up, and no way to cover them all in one post.
Encryption can be in both directions, or just in one.
As for what gets encrypted and what doesn't, that's not a door I want to open. Already a ton of discussions on that. Usually the scanner hobbyists and the radio techs/dispatchers/leadership will not agree.
GlobalNorth
Active Member
The best way is either always off or always on. There is always someone who doesn't listen to briefings about TGs, channels, ENC time on/off, broadcasts, etc.
JethrowJohnson
I love P25
I know. I didn't mean that I think they should be required to switch on or off at all, I think it should be an officer discretion thing, because if I would get dispatched to the home of someone who gets into trouble a lot and listens to a scanner, I would switch to secure mode so that he hopefully wouldn't hear when I got there bc you never know what kind of mood they're in and what they might be thinking. I'm not an officer, I just think that's what I would do if I were, but unfortunately my department can't do that because they have an analog system without any encryption at all, and they have a lot of regular customers who listen to scanners.
Officers are too busy just trying to change from channel one to two let alone fiddle with a secure switch. Best practice is to strap the channel.
JethrowJohnson
I love P25
Okay, but I was talking about the dispatch channel.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
An officer could only encrypt their own radio that way. Setting their own radio to encrypt wouldn't change the dispatch side.
Also, they never know what they are walking in to, so knowing to turn it on or off isn't always an option.
Plus, they usually forget. Or, turn it on and never turn it off.
Selectable encryption is an option, even with analog, but it's a pain in the butt.
As N3OBL said, it's hard enough to get officers to change the channel, never mind doing anything else with their radio.
This has been answered. Closing.
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