Today, the world is highly reliant on connectivity, ensuring critical digital resources are accessible anywhere and everywhere. For professionals in the public safety arena, mobility is also a vital part of the equation, and that makes data security inherently more complex. Fortunately, with mobile VPN (virtual private network) technology, it's possible to establish seamless, secure and persistent connectivity for emergency vehicles on the go.
In this blog post, we'll introduce the concept of mobile VPN, and how Digi has teamed up with Radio IP in a quest to deliver the best mobile VPN experience for emergency personnel — Digi Mobile VPN — a solution designed with public safety professionals in mind.
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What Is a Mobile Virtual Private Network?
So, what is VPN in mobile? Essentially, the private mobile network definition is that it’s a technology that ensures secure digital connections through the creation of encrypted point-to-point tunnels. Mobile private networks that include VPNs use encrypted tunnels to safeguard data in transit and protect underlying assets, making connections less susceptible to hacking or interception.
Benefits of Mobile Virtual Private Networks
Here are the benefits a mobile virtual private network can provide:
1. Seamless Roaming
Virtual private networks ensure reliable connectivity while on the go. This is crucial, as officers often use mobile devices en route to a scene to access mission-critical resources, and exchange information via wireless networks. But public wireless networks are inherently insecure, which leads to the next benefit of mobile VPN.
2. Enhanced Security
Mobile VPN makes connections between devices and other network assets significantly more secure. Encryption keeps traffic safeguarded from interception, and when the technology is combined with 5G connectivity, there’s no sacrificing speed in the name of security. Sensitive data — including data in transit — is appropriately protected, making compliance easier to manage and achieve.
3. Session Persistence
Session persistence is built in, ensuring constant application connectivity, even when moving across carrier boundaries. The mobile VPN is always on and network agnostic, ensuring seamless, constant connectivity across wireless networks — even if connectivity is momentarily lost.
4. Simplified Implementation
Mobile VPN doesn’t require complex setup. Implementation is typically straightforward, particularly when deployed via a management platform like Digi Remote Manager® to improve visibility, streamline configurations, and simplify monitoring.
5. Scalable Solution
VPN for mobile is a highly scalable solution. Along with working well for public safety organizations of any size, it’s a highly agile option for ensuring security. Scaling up and down can be done as needed, providing a continuously right-sized system for secure communications, data sharing, and more.
Digi Mobile VPN: A Cutting-Edge Security Solution
Digi Mobile VPN is a key feature of the Digi SAFE™ solution. Digi SAFE combines the Digi TX40 5G cellular router and Digi Remote Manager®, creating a comprehensive tech stack that ensures connectivity while meeting critical cybersecurity standards.
Here’s a closer look at Digi Mobile VPN, as well as the other supporting Digi Services.
Digi Mobile VPN
Digi Mobile VPN is a value-added service, available via a Digi Remote Manager subscription. Powered by Radio IP’s proprietary technology, Digi Mobile VPN provides a router based mobile VPN for a streamlined application.
The Digi Mobile VPN solution was designed to meet the needs of first responders and public safety personnel, ensuring a highly secure environment for managing mission-critical communications. Secure connections between vehicle-based devices and an organization’s data centers are not just possible but persistent and robust.
Additionally, the Digi mobile VPN service eliminates a variety of pain points typically experienced by highly mobile first responders and emergency personnel. The solution is always-on and network agnostic, allowing it to operate seamlessly across wireless networks while ensuring continuous connectivity. Uninterrupted authentication enhances the user experience, and constant security policy enforcement ensures data is always safeguarded.
With Digi Mobile VPN, organizations get a solution that exceeds data protection regulation requirements, ensuring compliance. Additionally, through the broader Digi SAFE solution, managing multiple independent networks effectively within a single mobile VPN is possible, leading to reliable connectivity with the appropriate amount of oversight and monitoring, as well as necessary resource management. This coupled with Digi multi-radio routers, makes a great pair.
The Digi SAFE™ Solution
Digi SAFE™ is a comprehensive, end-to-end solution designed to provide connectivity to emergency response vehicles. The technology provides reliable connectivity while ensuring security, allowing a wide array of in-vehicle devices, equipment, computers, and scanners to operate efficiently.
With Digi SAFE, public safety organizations get cutting-edge software and high-performance hardware in a single package. Persistent connections while on the go are possible, ensuring mission-critical communications, data transmissions, and resource access are achievable from practically any location.
The Digi TX40 Cellular Router
Digi TX40 is a 5G wireless communications hub designed for public safety and fleet vehicles. Functionally, the device brings together connection-reliant equipment in vehicles, creating a vehicle area network (VAN) easily and affordably.
Along with high-speed 5G connections, Digi TX40 is FirstNet Trusted™, ITxPT-certified to ensure interoperability, and meets the FIPS 140-2 cybersecurity standard.
- Public safety networks: Networks devoted to first responders and “extended primary users” have expanded since the September 11, 2001 tragedy, in which public networks were jammed, preventing communications between emergency personnel and the U.S. government. Digi TX40 provides FirstNet Trusted™, Verizon Frontline and T-Mobile Connecting Heroes support for primary responders.
- FIPS 140-2 Compliance: Both Digi TX40 and Digi Mobile VPN comply with the U.S. government FIPS 140-2 cybersecurity standard. Compliance with this standard is required for all U.S. government entities and contractors that work with the U.S. federal government as well as the Canadian government.
Digi Remote Manager
Digi Remote Manager centralizes the management of vehicle-based wireless technology. Leading cloud and edge computing technologies support rapid deployments and offer simplified asset management, all while enhancing security. IoT device monitoring, real-time alerts, update management, and more are all addressable through the platform.
Use Cases for Digi Mobile VPN
Digi Mobile VPN ensures reliable communications for public safety organizations. Here is an overview of Digi Mobile VPN use cases for public safety operations:
- Emergency response management: Support real-time communications and data-sharing during emergencies, allowing for improved coordination, collaboration, and resource management.
- Mobile command center establishment: Set up highly secure mobile command centers to oversee large-scale incidents and coordinate joint response efforts.
- Crisis alert delivery: Send out alerts and updates to field personnel, ensuring real-time message delivery to improve safety and outcomes during evolving emergencies through secured channels.
- Remote resource access: Ensure authorized personnel can securely access critical records, databases, knowledge libraries, and other resources while in the field while maintaining a secure environment.
- Video streaming: Set up live video streaming from emergency sites to maintain real-time response agility, monitor progress, and remain apprised of changing conditions, without the worry of sessions dropping.
- Network resilience: Maintain communications during network handoffs or when in low-coverage areas, ensuring critical communications continue when handling emergencies or navigating natural disasters.
- Dispatch communications: Provide secure, reliable communications between dispatchers and emergency personnel to coordinate efforts and ensure the seamless sharing of information.
- Fleet management: Monitor vehicle locations in real-time, optimizing activities to reduce response times and gaining insights to improve personnel safety.
- Data collection: Provide consistent connectivity and resource access to support data collection in the field.
Conclusion
Mobile VPN creates the secure mobile computing and communication environments public safety professionals and organizations require. Along with ensuring information flows freely during emergencies where timeliness is essential to positive outcomes, mobile VPN safeguards data to prevent interception and intrusion.
Digi Mobile VPN is designed explicitly with first responders and emergency personnel in mind, ensuring reliable access to resources and supporting real-time communications. For more information about how your organization can implement a secure, streamlined solution, Digi can provide cutting-edge solutions designed to enhance security, streamline operations, and support reliable connectivity.
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