Apriva licenses FIPS-certified module for Feds

Apriva has licensed Certicom’s Security Builder GSE, a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2-certified cryptographic module, to speed the entry of its own secure wireless messaging system into the federal market, according to a company announcement.

Apriva's system supports handheld devices from a variety of vendors, and meets many government directives including the Defense Department's 8100.2 directive governing the use of commercial wireless devices and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12.

But the system lacked a cryptographic module, said Rich Spinella, vice president of government solutions at the company.

"To rapidly bring [the Sensa Secure Mobile Mail system] to market, we elected to find a FIPS 140-2 approved cryptographic module versus developing our own and waiting for FIPS approval," Spinella said in a written statement. “We chose to work with the Certicom team because their technology is recognized and valued by our government customers.”

Apriva’s Sensa Secure Mobile Mail system is designed for handheld devices running Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system.