Cost-sensitive hardware encryption of existing wireless communication networks
Ben Kaminski, Adam Wannemacher · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2012
In the defense industry it is becoming necessary in some cases to encrypt an existing unencrypted or weakly encrypted wireless communication link. Factors affecting such a requirement include classification of data that was not previously classified, sustaining an aging system that is no longer state-of-the-art, repurposing a communication link for a new function requiring encryption, or a change in the acceptability of an existing encryption algorithm. In these cases it is usually desirable to insert encryption and decryption capabilities into the communication network without drastically changing the function, structure, or characteristics of the existing network. The easiest way to accomplish this is usually through a software update. However, that is not always possible for various reasons which will be explained. This paper will discuss the general process by which encryption can be implemented using electronics hardware, and will place an emphasis on reducing costs along the way.