Posted on

Armour Comms showcases new secure collaborative working solutions with MOD and Bittium at DSEI

DSEI, 14 – 17 September, 2021

ExCeL, London

Stand No: H1-450

 

London, UK, 9 September 2021 – Armour Comms will be showcasing several new capabilities of its OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE, NATO approved Armour® Mobile at DSEI, including a technical preview of its secure collaboration solution, Unity by Armour. Other innovations on show will be Armour’s work with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for secure mobile comms which is currently being successfully deployed across several operational areas to replace use of consumer grade apps; and Armour’s unique technology for Bittium devices, which enables users of Bittium’s Android TM2 solution to communicate without using the public internet.

Unity by Armour works in conjunction with Armour Mobile extending its secure collaboration capabilities with secure video conferencing calls (pre-defined or on-the-fly), screen sharing and integration with secure chat groups, in addition to the existing one-to-one secure audio and video calling, and interconnectivity with trusted unified communications systems. Unity by Armour provides picture in picture and multiple screens, and offers a familiar video conferencing interface, making it easy and intuitive to use. Unity by Armour is available with a choice of hosting options, including on-premises installation, ensuring that communities are controlled by invitation-only, increasing security and guarding against ‘zoom-bombing’.

Armour Comms will also be showcasing the latest innovation for its NATO approved secure communications solution which now includes unique Secure Push technology from Bittium. This feature allows secure and battery efficient signalling of incoming Armour Mobile calls and messages also in classified networks that do not have connectivity to public Internet.

Armour Mobile runs on Bittium’s Tough Mobile™ 2 series of ruggedised and secure smartphones ensuring voice and video conversations, and the associated files and attachments, stay completely private, no matter how hostile the environment. In addition, Bittium Secure Suite provides additional capabilities such as mobile VPN, device and application management, remote attestation and other functions.

Aimed at military, defence, law enforcement and government markets worldwide, Bittium and Armour products provide the same user experience as consumer-grade solutions, while keeping both data at rest and data in transit secure at all times

David Holman, Director at Armour Comms said; “At Armour Comms we are focused on delivering highly capable, easy to use, intuitive solutions that are robustly secure and suitable for deployment at scale. For specific markets, like Defence we also work closely with our partners to enable higher assurance communications solutions.

“The new capabilities we have on show at DSEI are driven by our users and are designed with the user in mind. Delivering solutions that are easy and pleasurable to use encourages strong user adoption, avoiding the kind of workarounds that often beset traditional secure communications solutions, such as people resorting to the use of highly insecure consumer-grade apps on ‘shadow IT’ devices.  Armour Comms solves the conundrum of a secure-by-default comms application that is still easy to use and quick to deploy at scale.”

Armour has recently announced the availability of its Armour Core v4 server-side software which includes a range of enhancements designed to significantly improve performance and usability including support for IPv6, the latest network communications protocol, enabling calls to seamlessly transition between modern networks.

More information about Armour Communications solutions can be found at www.armourcomms.com.

Posted on

Armour Core v4 improves usability of its mobile app with support for IPv6

Latest upgrades improve reliability, security and usability, responding to requests from users of Armour Mobile

London, UK, 24 August 2021 – Armour Comms has announced that the latest version of its Armour® Core server-side software includes new features that enhance the usability of its mobile app, Armour Mobile. Armour Core v4 supports IPv6, the latest network communications protocol, enabling calls to seamlessly transition between modern networks, and is an enabler for future planned features. Many of the enhancements have been incorporated as a result of customer feedback, to make the app easier for users including; migrating to a new device, searching for contacts across all communities within the app, identifying whether the call is video or audio (enhancing security) and the option to mute chat pings when on a call or conference. The upgrade also provides simplified access to call logs for auditors.

David Holman, Director at Armour Comms said; “At Armour Comms we have always focused on delivering robustly secure, enterprise strength mobile communications, designed with the user in mind. These latest enhancements to Armour Core represent a huge leap forward in our development programme improving usability in many ways, both to encourage individual end user adoption and secure the organisation’s communications.

“Many of these features have been requested by our users and are simply not available in consumer grade apps. They pave the way for future ease of use, scaling and deployment that will benefit our existing customers and new ones looking to manage their mobile conversations securely by replacing consumer grade apps.”

 

Details of the new features in Armour Core v4 include:

  • Support for IPv6 – improving reliability for calls passing between modern networks including 5G, without noticeable disruption to the call
  • User device migration – users can securely migrate to a new device (by scanning a QR code) taking their contacts and chats with them without requiring support from IT or the helpdesk and ensuring the old device is automatically decommissioned
  • User auto discovery – users can search names across all their communities, making it much easier and faster to locate contacts. There is now no need to search security ‘communities’ individually for contacts
  • Enhanced audit capability – provides streamlined and simplified access for auditors to audit logs
  • Mute chat notifications – allows a user to prioritise which secure conversations should be silenced when the user is in meetings or on conference calls to minimise unnecessary distractions
  • Enhanced air gap support – a security feature that separates the encryption key generation from key usage. Limiting the connection to short time bursts increases the security of the system and is an enterprise-grade feature not provided by consumer grade apps
  • Call type identification – users can identify whether incoming calls are video or audio, for extra security and situational awareness

 

More information about Armour Communications solutions can be found at www.armourcomms.com

Posted on

SNSfortech extends secure comms solutions for the global shipping industry with SigNet by Armour

Greek-based security solutions provider selects new secure comms tool to ensure total privacy for shipping and enterprise clients

London, 5 August 2021: Armour Comms, the leading provider of specialist, secure communications solutions, has deepened its partnership with SNSfortech, an Athens-based cyber-security and data protection solutions provider. SNSfortech has introduced SigNet by Armour® to its range of secure communications tools for its security-conscious clients in the global shipping and enterprise markets.

Antonios Mytilinis, Director at SNSfortech commented, “Having worked with Armour for five years, the latest product SigNet, has been an instant hit with our clients in the maritime sector. Clients have reported to us high rates of user adoption because SigNet is so easy to use, while supporting heightened security procedures when dealing with sensitive and private information.”

SigNet is based on the well-respected Signal app, and provides secure comms for voice, text, messaging, video and attachments.  In addition, it provides enhanced security features which include;

  • One-step provisioning for end users – download the app, and they can start using it straight away
  • Anonymity and protection of privacy – users do not need to reveal their mobile number, email address or even full name in order to use the app
  • Use across multiple linked devices – the same instance of the app can be installed on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile, so that information can be shared across devices securely, without ever using email
  • Note to Self facility – voice to text notes and reminders that are held within the app, and can be shared with linked devices
  • Can be installed on-premise for absolute privacy and protection of meta-data, or hosted on Armour’s secure cloud.
  • A much improved interface provides a great user experience

 

SigNet by Armour, is available for iOS and Android devices, and for use with Windows 10, macOS and Linux.

David Holman, Director, Armour Comms said, “Customers of SNSfortech, such as those in the maritime industry, have very stringent security requirements, not least because vessels are often required to sail through unfriendly waters. Owners are keen to protect their anonymity while still needing to convey instructions to their management teams, without fear of interception. At Armour we are committed to providing products that protect privacy, strengthen security and that people are happy to use, so that there is never a need to use a less secure alternative.”

Posted on

Armour Comms tech selected by Priavo Security and the 360 Maritime Alliance for secure comms solutions

End to end security services business 360 Maritime Alliance to provide secure mobile comms solution for Super Yacht and Ultra High Net Worth sector  

London, 15 July 2021: Armour Comms, the leading provider of specialist, secure communications solutions, has announced a partnership with Priavo Security and the 360 Maritime Alliance. Priavo Security has added Armour’s secure mobile comms technology to the range of services it provides to clients in the Super Yacht and Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) sector. The Priavo Security/360 Maritime Alliance provides a range of security services covering Physical, Electronic and Cyber Security. Both Armour Mobile and SigNet by Armour will be available to clients through the partnership.

Pete Murphy, CEO of Priavo Security, and a founding member of the 360 Maritime Alliance stated; “Having researched the market, we found Armour’s technology to be the most widely approved and recommended. With its two product streams, Armour Mobile and SigNet by Armour, it is able to cover most of the use cases we encounter when providing bespoke security services to clients in the Super Yacht and Ultra High Net Worth sectors.”

The award-winning Armour Mobile secure comms app provides fully integrated secure communications for voice, video, messaging, conferencing, files attachments and MessageBurn (messages timed to automatically delete). An enterprise-ready solution, Armour Mobile is scalable for fast, remote deployment and can be provided with optional Audit features. Armour Mobile is approved for handling data up to UK Government OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE and NATO Restricted.

SigNet by Armour, which is based on the well-respected Signal app, provides similar features to Armour Mobile, with AES-256 bit encryption for iOS and Android devices, and for use with Windows 10, macOS and Linux.

Both Armour product lines have additional security features such as an on-premises option for total privacy as well as the choice of cloud installation on Armour’s secure cloud, secure groups and allow listing features, and a much improved, highly intuitive user interface.

David Holman, Director, Armour Comms said, “The Super Yacht and Ultra High Net Worth markets have their own unique security requirements, where unlike in a corporate setting, a security breach could well be a matter of life and death. At Armour we are committed to providing products that protect privacy, strengthen security and that are designed to be a delight to use, so that people will not be tempted into using considerably less secure consumer-grade apps.”

Posted on

GDPR and Mobile Comms

How compliant is your organisation?

GDPR may have slipped from the headlines, and now be seen simply as ‘job done’ in many organisations. However, with the widespread adoption of remote working due to the pandemic, some aspects of data security may have slipped as people revert to less than optimal practices. It is worth remembering that the penalties for infringement can be costly with a maximum fine of EU20m or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is the greater.

Data Privacy is a worthy goal

GDPR legislation should not be viewed merely as a compliance requirement. There is very real value in protecting privacy given that personal data is so highly sought after by criminals, and its loss can be devasting for the individual concerned. Protecting personal data is a worthy goal in its own right. If people in your organisation are using consumer-grade apps for business communications then you may be contravening GDPR regulations.

As an example as we cover in our Replacing WhatsApp for Business? blog, WhatsApp should not be used for business communications – it expressly says so in its Ts & Cs. Apart from this, you should keep in mind these points when assessing what data might be shared using an app that your organisation does not control:

  • What type of data is being shared using mobile apps? Is it personally identifiable, like HR or payroll data?
  • Has consent been given for the data to be shared, such as business contacts whose details are then distributed via mobile phone apps?
  • Can you control where the data might end up? Can you stop it being forwarded to an unauthorised user or location? Do you know where the servers are located that will store the data?
  • Can you control who might see the data?
  • Can the data be deleted once it is no longer required?

If you are unsure about any of these points, then it is worth taking a closer look at the apps in use in your organisation, and safe-guarding your business by moving to an Enterprise-grade secure communications app.

Enterprise-grade alternatives from Armour Comms

Armour Comms provides a range of solutions, and the knowledge and experience to curate a suitable service to meet exact requirements. Armour Comms solutions are specifically designed to provide enterprise-ready capabilities, including gateways into existing unified communications systems, for professional customers including governments, financial and legal businesses, defence organisations and high net worth individuals.

Armour Mobile – available for iOS, Android and Windows Desktop, hosted on the Armour Secure Cloud, or as an on-premises solution. Based on NCSC and NATO approved MIKEY-SAKKE protocols, the Armour Mobile app is downloadable from app stores, and benefits from both central administration and quick-and-easy provisioning of new users.

Armour Recall – is now available as an additional module for Armour Mobile users for on-premises deployments and provides secure, centralised audit of all text, audio and message attachments. While designed for organisations in regulated industries such as financial services, legal, pharmaceutical and medical, Recall audit capabilities can be useful for many other security conscious organisations that need to be able to prove who said what, to whom, and when.

SigNet by Armour – an alternative to Armour Mobile for specific use case requirements, using AES 256-bit encryption technology. Available as a hosted or an on-premises solution, SigNet too is downloadable from the app stores, centrally administered, and quick and easy to provision new users.

All Armour products are designed with the end user in mind, to deliver a highly usable experience that surpasses free-to-use apps, with enterprise features and security baked in.

For more information on how Armour Comms can help your organisation to secure personal and sensitive data held on business mobile devices, contact us today.

 

Armour Comms has published a podcast explaining GDPR and its impact on Mobile Communications which you can view here:

https://youtu.be/kI7qyzXR0-U

Posted on

Samsung DeX for Enterprise – now includes Armour Mobile

The Samsung DeX platform enables organisations to go ‘mobile-only’ by leveraging the power of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.  This approach could replace the traditional PC for many professionals.

Armour Mobile is a key part of this exciting journey that enables business people to work securely from their chosen location. By connecting peripherals such as screens (including TVs), keyboards, mice and external storage devices, Samsung DeX enabled devices provide a convenient desktop work environment.

Armour Mobile has been optimised to provide a seamless experience on Samsung DeX devices with the Targus USB-C phone dock. Armour Mobile delivers:

  • secure communications with a ‘desktop’ feel via the Samsung smartphone removing the need for every employee to be issued with a corporate laptop
  • sensitive business information held is protected wherever an employee needs to work
  • data is controlled and protected ensuring GDPR compliance

 

Samsung recently ran a series of webinars about its new Enterprise solutions in conjunction with Armour and Targus.

To see the webinar for your region follow these links:

America : https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1257313951803415821

EMEA : https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8544206318609851661

APAC : https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8880377600755887117

Posted on

Replacing WhatsApp for Business?

Here’s some points you should consider

Chat apps in business have become akin to SMS in the late 1990s.  For those of you that don’t remember, SMS was clunky to use, and really only ever intended to be used by geeky, techie types. However, that didn’t stop it taking off with mass adoption, including by business people.   In much the same way, chat apps are not designed for professional use, but somehow, they have infiltrated many workplaces, bringing with them various security and data privacy issues.

Getting the Genie back in the bottle

So what can you do about it?  Some organisations have gone so far as to ban the use of WhatsApp[i]. However, much like getting the genie back in the bottle, once people have experienced the ease of use of these consumer chat apps, it’s difficult to stop their use.  The trick is to give your staff something even better than WhatsApp.  By better we mean, with extra, enterprise-grade functions which the user will love, and far stronger security, which is imperative for the business.

What are the alternatives?

There are quite a few free-to-use alternatives, the best of which is widely accepted as Signal. However, Signal suffers from some of the same drawbacks as WhatsApp.  The issues are:

  • In order to use the app, users must register with their GSM/Mobile number. It is relatively easy to spoof a mobile number, which means that users cannot be certain who they are communicating with
  • All users are in a single group, so that anyone can call anyone else. Groups or communities of users cannot be managed centrally.
  • The app is managed in the US – so metadata leaves sovereign shores.

 

Like Signal – only better

SigNet by Armour®, as the name suggests, is based on Signal which is internationally recognised as the most secure consumer app.  We’ve taken all the best bits and packaged them up with extra features and an easier to use interface to provide an enterprise-ready solution.

By enterprise-ready we mean:

You can have an on-premises or cloud hosted instance.  The cloud version uses the Armour secure-cloud, which is UK based – so your data and meta data never leaves sovereign UK shores. You have complete control of your data.

Contact lists or communities can be managed centrally.  New users must be invited by central admin, and approved before they can join.  That means that your users know exactly who they are communicating with – no spoof users with stolen identities.

No requirement to use a mobile phone number. With Armour you only need a unique identifying code – it doesn’t need to be a mobile number.  This is an extra layer of security that can keep business and personal communications separate even on the same device, and which also keeps users’ personal details private.

Full enterprise functionality.  Including voice calls, text/chat, video, and attachments – all of which are managed inside the app, stay inside the app, and are completely encrypted.

Scalable, fast provisioning for new users. We use secure, one-time use, QR codes to get new users up and running with the minimum of fuss. Great for users, and the IT department.

Enhanced User Interface. Designed with the user experience in mind, intuitive and easy to use, especially for those upgrading from WhatsApp.

Professional support services. We provide both phone and email support, that is UK-based.

Fully GDPR compliant. All data is kept within the app, and no contact information is shared.

 

Benefits of a really secure communications app

SigNet helps to get the WhatsApp genie back in the bottle. Providing employees with an enterprise-grade communications app improves security and protects sensitive business information such as intellectual property (product specs, price lists, formulae, recipes, patents), customer information, and contact details.  It also helps to avoid embarrassing data breaches which can damage reputation, and perhaps a less obvious benefit, employees are encouraged to take data security more seriously. The very act of using a special app for business communications is a reminder to be careful and take cyber security seriously.

Act Fast

If your business managers need to communicate about any kind of sensitive information that, if divulged, could put your business in jeopardy, or provide commercial advantage to competitors, contact us today, and have the security of SigNet by Armour up and running in your organisation within minutes.

sales@armourcomms.com

[i]   Germany’s data chief tells ministries WhatsApp is a no-go: https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-data-chief-tells-ministries-whatsapp-is-a-no-go/a-53474413

Posted on

Elements of User Experience

 

In a world where there’s an app for just about everything, how can enterprise systems, designed for a serious business purpose engage in the same way as their consumer-grade cousins?

Business apps now need to do what they say they will and in doing so, they must delight the user. Ideally, security products should be so easy and intuitive that users have no reason to use anything else – so avoiding workarounds, a key tenet of good cybersecurity.

When designing new products, the User Experience is key. What do we mean by user experience and why is it so important? Daniel Hermoso, Product Designer at Armour Comms explains.

What is User Experience?

User Experience, or UX for short, encompasses all aspects of the end-user’s interaction with a company, its services and its products. This is a more holistic way of looking at user interactions than simply through the user interface (UI). Whether by design or by default, every product or service we interact with delivers an experience to our users and end customers.

Why does it matter?

Many of us have mixed feelings about the products and services we use every day. They can either empower us to do our jobs better or leave us frustrated when they fail to meet our needs or requirements. In short, they have the ability to complicate or simplify our lives.

As alluded to above, a good UX is particularly important for security products, like the ones we develop at Armour. Not only must they do a better job in terms of data security than consumer apps, but they must match in terms of usability too.

So what makes a good user experience?

Aarron Walter in his book of Designing for Emotion, describes a hierarchy of user needs that closely mirrors Maslow’s hierarchy. In it he outlines that in order to achieve superior needs such as delight or pleasure, more foundational needs must be met first such as functionality and usability.

 

When people think about well designed products, usually they think about the aesthetics (such as the user interface). Is the product pleasing to look at or does it feel good to the touch? Yet designing products with user experience in mind means looking much deeper, beyond the aesthetics, at the hierarchy of user needs.

Functional

It starts with function, the need solve a problem. A beautiful product that fails meet basic user needs is not viable. Sometimes this is forgotten and can cause issues as product teams invest a lot of time and effort building something nobody wants to use.

Reliable

Second, the product must be reliable. Can we count on it to deliver the actions or service that our users are expecting? Does it consistently perform well. This is important because it builds trust with customers and improves user engagement.

Usable

Usability is key because it assesses how easy products are to use. It aims to remove all barriers that prevent efficient human-computer interactions. The product and services need to be easy to learn, easy to use and easy to remember.

Pleasurable

In a highly competitive market, it’s no longer enough to design products that simply meet the basic utility needs. It’s critical to design a purposeful and memorable experience that people will enjoy.

Having recently watched the Great British Bake Off, I like to think of the user experience in the same way that the bakes are judged. You can always tell which bakes failed during the process solely from having a look at them. However to truly distinguish, the best from the rest you have to understand the process. What ingredients were used and every step it took achieve the outcome. Only by tasting the bake can the judges distinguish the true masterpiece.

In much the same way, only by applying UX principles to product design, where a foundation of function, reliability, and usability are achieved, can we expect to deliver a truly delightful experience to the user. As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating!

Armour Comms has published a podcast explaining the Elements of User Experience which you can view here :

Posted on

Armour Comms wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2021

Cyber-security firm wins highest industry accolade for Secure Communications technology

London, 29 April 2021: Armour Comms, a supplier of UK Government and NATO approved solutions for secure communications including voice, video, messaging and data, has been awarded a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2021. The award was made for outstanding short term growth in overseas sales over the last three years.

Established in 2015, Armour Comms is one of only 112 organisations nationally to be recognised with an acclaimed Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade this year. Armour Comms technology provides the convenience and usability of consumer-grade apps, with enterprise and government grade security features required by professional users to protect sensitive information and maintain privacy. Armour technology provides a highly secure mobile communications platform where every element of data, including meta-data, can be controlled.

David Holman, Director and co-founder of Armour Comms said; “The whole team at Armour are honoured to have been selected for a Queen’s Award and I know our many customers around the world will share our excitement at this recognition. It is the highlight for us of a busy 12 month period where many organisations moved to remote working and therefore required more robust security for their home workers.

“During the pandemic cyberattacks have increased significantly, generating an awareness that security for mobile workers is incredibly important because it presents such a large attack surface. By combining the usability of consumer-grade apps with enhanced security required for business use our products provide the assurance required when sharing sensitive information of all kinds and maintaining privacy, even in the most challenging of environments.”

Armour Comms supplies the secure communications solutions of choice for governments, banks, defence and law enforcement, financial services, legal and healthcare organisations, as well as family offices, ultra-high nett worth individuals and journalists operating in unfriendly regimes.

This short video explains how the Armour technology works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lufP-IUckhE