Airbus helps PMR networks meet new EU security directive

The aim of the NIS directive is to improve the member states’ cooperation and protection against attacks.

The European Union’s directive on network and information security (NIS), was adopted in summer 2016, and national governments will have to implement the legislation by May 2018 and November 2018.

Furthermore, they have to identify IT and Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) operators in certain sectors, which are considered to be “essential services” for the European economy.

Among these are businesses in areas such as energy, banking, transport, water, financial markets, healthcare and digital infrastructure.

Wit the new European NIS directive becoming national law, the Secure Land Communications (SLC) business of Airbus in Germany is offering a new cyber security service for PMR network operators.

Airbus calls its service Tactilon Cyber Security and it can be used to detect the weak spots of PMR systems, to maintain and update them consistent with the new NIS directive. This includes managing situations in case of a threat, upgrade, security monitoring, access control, backups and recovery, to name a few aspects.

Alexander Koderman, Chief Security Officer at SLC Airbus in Germany, writes:

“Many companies in Germany, Switzerland and Austria in the profiled sector use radio communications and their systems are increasingly intertwined with IT systems. Consequently, they can be prone to cyberattacks.

“Now a large number of them have to act quickly and identify the weak spots – sometimes this process can be tedious and pretty challenging.”

Secure Land Communications (SLC), a business unit of Airbus, develops, installs and maintains professional and land mobile radio (PMR/LMR) networks based on Tetra, Tetrapol and P25 technologies.