Secure Terminal Equipment
The Secure Terminal Equipment ( STE , dt. Secure subscriber terminal ) since 2008, the standard telecommunications system of the US government for wired or land-based (landline) communication. The STE was designed for operation on ISDN lines, which offer a speed of up to 128 kBit / s and are fully digitized. The larger bandwidth compared to analog telephone lines allows a higher voice quality and can also be used for data transmission or the transmission of faxes via a built-in RS-232 interface. The STE was introduced around the older STU-III office phone and the KY-68 tactical phoneto replace. STE devices are compatible with STU-III telephones, but not with KY-68 devices.
The devices look similar to normal office telephones in the higher price categories and can set up unsecure calls to the public telephone network ( PSTN ). The device has a slot for a PC card into which Fortezza Plus ( KOV-14 ) crypto cards or KSV-21 enhanced crypto cards can be inserted. If a card configured by the NSA is in the device, encrypted phone calls to other STE devices can be set up. STE devices (unlike STU-III units) are not tied to the respective cryptographic technology - all algorithms are located on the CryptoCard.
Newer STE devices can interact with other devices that use the Secure Communications Interoperability Protocol (SCIP), previously Future Narrowband Digital Terminal (FNBDT) - there are upgrade packs for older devices.
Models
- Office - The Office version is the most popular version of the STE and offers voice and data connections in ISDN and analog networks.
- Tactical - The Tactical version is similar to the Office version, but it can also connect to the TRI-TAC (TRI Service TACtical) network and has a serial EIA-530A / EIA-232 BDI ( Black Digital Interface) connection .
- Data - The data version offers remote functions for voice, fax, data and video conferencing. This model has two EIA-530A / EIA-232 BDI ports and allows data to be transmitted to multiple destinations.
- C2 - The C2 version is similar to the Tactical version but has modified software for use with the Tactical Terminal Locking Handset
- STE-R - Similar to the Data STE, but the STE remote offers the option to dial into the Defense Red Switch Network (DRSN)
- VoIP - A version for the use of IP telephony (Voice over IP, VoIP), available as a new model or as an upgrade for existing devices
As of 2007, a typical STE cost around $ 3100 - this price does not include the required CryptoCard.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Secure Telephone Unit Third Generation (STU-III) / Secure Terminal Equipment (STE) . Federation of American Scientists . Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
- ↑ STE: Secure Terminal Equipment: Direct Sale Pricing . Archived from the original on October 15, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2014.