Canadian Soldiers Need Secure Internet For Its Smartphones and Google Glasses

If you're a Canadian soldier, prepare to take your iPhone skills to war, because the Canadian Forces just released more details on how it will integrate combat soldiers with wearables and smartphone technology—all hooked up to secure, peer-to-peer networks.

Defense Research and Development Canada, a wing of National Defence, recently published a news release on the future of "Tactical wearables and the self-organizing network" in the Canadian Forces.

Fearing the cyber attacks of hostile actors in so-called networked battlefields, the CF has commissioned research into integrating impenetrable networks at the soldier level of communication, for greater operational efficiency.

"It is clear that perfect cyber security does not exist and that centralized communications hubs can be vulnerable to attacks," said the release.

To combat the growing threat of cyber attacks compromising secure military networks using consensus algorithms, the Canadian Forces says it's developing—with the help of researchers from Carleton University—advanced mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) for dismounted infantry, that can repel "cyber-attacks and connection failures".

MANETs are essentially military-grade, peer-to-peer internet networks that establish connections between mobile devices through radio waves, instead of accessing communications networks off of cell towers. It creates a closed network of devices authenticating each others access.

The advantages of MANETs for fast moving infantrymen, who might also be in countries with limited telecommunications infrastructure, is avoiding dark zones where reception is poor; communications are as strong as the units corresponding in close proximity.

It also provides less physical space for hackers to intercept sensitive operational intel. In the new, modern battlefield, emergent threats like autonomous Predator drones being hacked and potentially controlled by the enemy, has compromised the safety of military hardware.

Each device within a p2p network also works to confirm the identity of other devices, using the consensus algorithms designed by military researchers. This way, instead of a central authority validating users, the peer network allows access to confirmed devices. Under these rules, attackers or hostiles are easier to identify and block. New devices entering a closed platoon network simply would not be authenticated within the algorithm binding the mobile p2p network.

But what's secure internet services without the gadgets? If a video attached to the release is anything to judge by, in the futuristic war theatre's generals dream about, CF soldiers will be sporting Google Glass, smartphones, and at-the-ready remote UAVs tied to real time satellite networks monitoring operations from space.

In the simulated operation, soldiers are seen coordinating a target using satellite images relayed to a "weapon mounted smartphone" monitor on to their assault rifles. When the hostile goes out of sight the platoon deploys a quadcopter to track the target. Meanwhile, communications between the soldiers and the command centre occurs over a wrist device.

According to the video, the whole system will go a long way in identifying allies and hostiles on the battlefield, to avoid friendly fire incidents.

The secure network system is part of the CF's larger Integrated Soldier System Project (ISSP), integrating ground operations and infantrymen with next generation communications technologies that allows soldiers rapid decision making and "greater synchronisation of activity" between senior officers and boots on the ground.

Industry leaders in Canada are latching onto the new technologies, too. Seeing a new market in smart weapons, General Dynamics and Colt Canada, the official supplier of the C7 standard assault rifle for Canadian soldiers, have developed a smart rifle system similar to the weapon-mounted smartphone in the DRDC video.

The thinking behind the new assault rifle systems, which go well beyond the traditional point and shoot capabilities, is to integrate the brains of a smartphone generation to senior officers who will be directing them in the new battlefield.

"Using smartphone capability to connect to higher level Command and Control systems provides soldiers with the information they need to conduct their missions successfully and safely", said Colt Canada general manager, Jeff MacLeod, in a company press release.

And like a lot of great ideas, early prototypes present issues. Integrating a fully communicative battle force with state of the art technologies is an obvious evolution in war. But having that force operate with floating networks vulnerable to cyber attacks is where DRDC's new MANET network comes in to play.

Clearly western armies are learning from the persistent hacking attacks from Chinese agents, or the lost (possibly hacked) Predators over Iraq by implementing peer-to-peer networks in field equipment.

In other words, the Canadian army wants to make sure that, in tomorrow's wars, nobody's assault rifle gets hacked and misidentifies the wrong insurgent target.