TETRA  |  2019-01-07

Dutch Government to Investigate Security of Nationwide Critical Communications Network C2000

Source: Telecompaper

Telecompaper wrote that the Dutch Parliament in November called for extra research into the position of Hytera as a supplier of equipment for the network of security services. These studies should complete in the first quarter.

The ministry has asked for help from the National Security Security Agency (NBV) of the AIVD. The NBV will examine if the involvement of Hytera Mobilfunk in the upgrade of C2000 could damage the democratic legal order, security or other important interests of the state. The study will also look into the necessity of having additional measures beyond the existing security measures.

Dutch ICT service management Xebia is carrying out a security audit of the technical and organizational measures taken by Hytera for the upgrade of C2000. Xebia is investigating whether and to what extent the supplier could provide itself with improper access. Xebia is also looking into what technical measures have been taken to make improper access impossible, and to detect improper use.

The use of C2000 is confidential as a departmental. This means that the operational information of the network is not public, but does not involve state secret information. Issues that do concern state security may not be discussed via C2000 unless there are additional measures and encryption.

User groups of C2000 with higher security requirements can use additional security measures, including extra encryption of message traffic. The C2000 voice network is protected by a combination of physical (fences, locks), organisational (screening personnel) and electronic (alarms, encryption of radio communication) security measures.