NEWS/EVENTS

Welcome! December 02, 2023

22 0523 p25 logo 30 anniversary copy opt 1b

A New P25 Best Practices Document is Now available detailing Operational Best Practices for P25 Encryption Key Management.

The Full Document can be downloaded using the link below:

Operational Best Practices for P25 Encryption Key Management

Or from the DHS Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Website Encryption page

https://www.cisa.gov/publication/encryption

The Best Practices Document was developed by the Federal Partnership for Interoperable Communications (FPIC) in coordination with SAFECOM and the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC). The work was developed in partnership with the National Law Enforcement Communications Center (NLECC), the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and subject matter experts from federal, state, and local agencies.

This document is the fourth in a series of documents informing public safety on encryption. The first document, Considerations for Encryption in Public Safety Radio Systems, described agency requirements related to land mobile radio (LMR) encryption. The second document, Guidelines for Encryption in Land Mobile Radio Systems, addressed encryption methodology—the strategy for determining which encryption method or algorithm best protects sensitive information. The third document, Best Practices for Encryption in P25 Public Safety Land Mobile Radio Systems, provided an overview of encryption key management related to Project 25 LMR systems. (Links to these documents are available on the CISA Website Encryption Page above)

This New document—Operational Best Practices for Encryption Key Management—continues the education efforts. This document thoroughly explores encryption challenges relevant to public safety LMR systems and provides the public safety community with specific encryption key management best practices and case studies that illustrate the importance of secure communications.

The need for encryption in the public safety community is increasing as technologies for monitoring public safety communications become more accessible. Scanners and smart phone apps make it easy for anyone to access sensitive law enforcement and emergency medical services (EMS) information transmitted in the clear (without encryption). At the same time, encrypting an LMR system can potentially interfere with interoperability within and among agencies if encryption protocols are not shared among users.

Public safety agencies face a broad range of options when it comes to encryption key management, including choice of encryption algorithm, various protocols for key generation, and determining cryptoperiods (the length of time between system-wide changes of encryption keys). These options can be simplified by following a number of common-sense practices developed by public safety agencies not only to protect their own systems’ communications but also to maintain interoperability with their local, state, and federal mutual aid partners.

Details: 28 October 2020

P25 for the Future Panel Presentation and P25 Update from IWCE

The Project 25 Technology Interest Group is pleased to publish "P25 for the Future" a 45 minute video panel presentation. The video was presented by PTIG as part of the virtual IWCE conference and can now be viewed in it's entirety using a Youtube link.

Get a latest update on the Project 25 Standards and LMR-LTE Interworking presented by Andy Davis from Motorola Solutions and Chairman TIA TR-8. See an LMR-LTE interworking concept model from Jeremy Elder L3Harris. Also hear from Jim Downes, from DHS CISA and the Chairman of the Project 25 Steering Committee, on the Steering Committee's priorities and focus going forward as well as significant new P25 Outreach and education documents now available. Finally hear from Cindy Cast of Miami Dade County and Brad Stoddard of the State of Michigan on their P25 systems and why P25 remains the primary Mission Critical PTT service for their agencies.

Speakers and topics covered by the panel are below:

Project 25 For the Future

Speaker	Topic
Steve Nichols, Director PTIG	Meeting Agenda and Introductions, Project 25 Technology Interest Group (PTIG) Overview P25 Resources & Documents Available, P25 Benefits.
Andy Davis Senior Resource Manager, Project 25, MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, Chairman TIA TR-8	P25 Standards Update and Priorities of Future Work in Process. ATIS/TIA WG: Interworking between P25 LMR and First Net
Jeremy Elder Director, Product Management, L3HARRIS Corporation	LMR-LTE Concept Model for Interworking Applications
Jim Downes Chief Federal Emergency Communications Section, DHS CISA & Chair of P25 Steering Committee	P25 Steering Committee Priorities: ISSI/CSSI Interoperability- Linking P25 Systems, KMF/KFD Encryption Key Interoperability, P25 Education and Outreach, P25 Testing + CAP Update from Sridhar Kowdley DHS CAP Program.
Brad Stoddard Director Michigan Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS) Michigan SWIC Cindy Cast Radio Systems Manager Miami Dade County FL	P25 Users Update: Why P25 remains the primary Public Safety Grade PTT technology. P25 Sharing = Cost Savings and Interoperability, P25 and COVID response.

Details: 07 October 2020

PTIG Announces New Statement of P25 User Needs (SPUN)

The Project 25 Technology Interest Group (PTIG) is pleased to share the new Statement of P25 User Needs (SPUN), developed by the Project 25 Steering Committee with support from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and participation from the TIA TR-8 Engineering Committee. This comprehensive document supersedes the earlier Project 25 Statement of Requirements (P25 SOR), last revised in December 2013.

The SPUN defines the current P25 systems model, system components, interfaces, services, capabilities, and features from a user-needs perspective. It also includes descriptions of P25 voice, data, security, location, and subscriber management services as well as interfaces, infrastructure, consoles, and subscriber units. A series of appendices list specific identified P25 user needs by capability and hardware type.

In its introduction, the SPUN states that it “provides land mobile radio (LMR) users with an overview of P25 Standards and a framework for identifying and defining their communications needs” and “high-level explanations of P25 system architecture, features, and functions.” It also offers “a framework for users to review, identity, and effectively communicate their needs to those involved in the standards-development process.”

In other words, the SPUN provides P25 practitioners with both a clearer understanding of P25 standards and systems and a means for assessing their agencies needs related to P25 and having those needs addressed by P25 standards developers.

While most P25 systems do not include all the services, features, and capabilities described in this document, and not all services, features, and capabilities listed in the user needs tables are addressed by current P25 Standards, the SPUN provides a much-needed update of the P25 SOR, a single source of essential information about P25, and a glimpse of the capabilities that may lie in P25’s future.

PTIG would also like to thank the members of the P25 Steering Committee support team from Booz Allen Hamilton, who were essential in the development of the SPUN.

The full SPUN document can be found at link.

P25 Statement of P25 User Needs (SPUN)

Details: 30 September 2020

PTIG Publishes latest CSSI Non CAP Interoperability Test Results from Bosch Telex and Motorola Solutions

The Project 25 Technology Interest Group (PTIG) has published the latest CSSI Non CAP Interoperability Test Report. The testing was done between a Telex C-Soft P25 Console and a Motorola Solutions Astro P25 RFSS.

The information contained in the report has been provided by the suppliers of the products with permission to make the information publicly available. The Project 25 Technology Interest Group (PTIG) is making this information available as a public service.

If you have questions regarding the testing please contact the signatories to the test report using their email found on the General Information tab of the report.

A copy of the report can be downloaded using the link below:

Bosch Telex - Motorola Solutions Non-CAP CSSI Interoperability Test September 2020

Details: 22 September 2020

P25 Latest New Products and Services for 2020

The Project 25 Technology Interest Group (PTIG) is pleased to offer a presentation of the latest P25 New Products and Services for 2020 from PTIG Members.

Find out What's New, How it will improve P25 Interoperability and How it will benefit Public Safety and other P25 Users Groups.

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