Portable WiFi Security Service

About

Idappcom’s Managed Cyber Protection service provides business-strength security for anyone accessing the Internet via a shared Wifi connection, in an airport terminal, Internet café or on-board a long-haul flight. Shared Wifi connections are inherently insecure being easy to intercept by anyone on the same connection. Typically unencrypted it means that users are particularly at risk from man-in-the middle attacks leading to loss of data, malware downloads, spear-phishing and ransomware attacks, identity theft, and much more. The cyber-protection service creates a secure connection by monitoring all the in and outbound traffic, blocking any threats before they reach the user’s Internet access device- laptop, Tablet of Smartphone - and preventing any malware downloads, connections to spoof Web sites or data exfiltration via hackers’ command and control servers. For VIP and Business-class passengers this means that they are able to use the on-board Wifi service throughout the flight with the same level of confidence as when they are working from the desks inside their corporate networks. To access the service users are provided with a low-cost, compact device running industry standard intrusion prevention software (IPS) and a VPN client. Known as the GIPSY, the device is approximately the size of a pack of cigarettes (9cm x 6cm x 3cm) with 4 USB 2.0 and 1 Fast Ethernet RJ45 sockets and is powered up by connecting to the end-point device. The GIPSY will interface with any industry standard Wifi router including the Gogo satellite system deployed on board the Virgin Atlantic fleet of aircraft. Intrusion Prevention Systems, IPS, are widely used in corporate networks in addition to firewalls to provide more powerful and granular protection against the latest, more sophisticated cyber-threats. In simple terms the IPS devices are configured with an array of policy rules that can recognise and block suspect packets in the stream of Internet traffic. New threats are discovered every day which means that the IPS devices need to be regularly updated with the latest rule-sets to ensure maximum protection. Once powered up, users can access the GIPSY’ management browser interface to select and connect directly to the Gogo Wifi network. The device can then either connect to the management SOC via a VPN link to initiate a rule update or operate as a stand-alone device to monitor and drop malicious traffic or suspect external connections. If connected to the SOC the GIPSY will auto-update with the latest rule-set and send alert information to the Idappcom security team for analysis. Rules are normally updated every 24 hours so if used on a flight the connection to the SOC is probably not necessary. If operating in stand-alone mode, the device will transmit alert information and update its internal policies and rules next time it is connected to a terrestrial network. From a user perspective the GIPSY is very easy to use and can be set up in just a few minutes. Once it is operating the user can continue to use the Internet as normal without any impact on the Wifi up or download speeds. If connected to the SOC users can opt to be notified via email when a threat is detected and blocked. Alternatively, users can access a threat activity report via the Idappcom portal at a later date. The heart of the service, the Idappcom SOC, is based on over 10 years’ experience working with all the leading security vendors providing the tools and services used by major enterprises, government and military organisations. Idappcom employs a dedicated security research team who are responsible for maintaining a database of the latest threat traffic packet captures and matched rule updates. Currently containing over 14,000 rules, increasing by an average of 150 new rules each month, it means that the GIPSY is able to detect and block the very latest threats as soon as they are added to the global threat lists. For Virgin Atlantic the GIPSY represents a unique opportunity to be the first airline to provide passengers with a secure in-flight Wifi service, opening up a wide range of innovative marketing and revenue generating opportunities. Idappcom would be willing to consider a variety of potential business relationships to enable Virgin Atlantic to test and deploy the service for its passengers, possibly as a free premium service to First or Business-Class frequent fliers or as an optional extra in addition to the standard Wifi connection fee. The GIPSY cases are highly customisable and could be produced to reflect the Virgin Atlantic branding and packaged for sale via the in-flight catalogue. GIPSY Hardware Specifications Case: Customisable Plastic Moulded Power: Micro USB 5.0 volts /2.5 amps Processor: Broadcom BCM2837 64bit, ARM v7 Quad Core Processor Single board 1.2GHz RAM: 1 GB, LPDDR2, 900 Hz Storage: 16GB Wifi: 1 x Internal antenna, 1 x USB2 Edimax external antenna Network Protocols:802.11h/g/n, 2.5 GHz, Access Point, Fast Ethernet 10/100Mbps Wireless Encryption: WAP2 Personal, RSNA-PSK, AES-CCMP