Aruba is First Certified to Provide 802.11ac WLAN Connectivity to the NSA

Eddie Staley over at BenZinga has an interesting article for those in the public sector who find themselves in need of an 802.11ac capable wireless network solution. Staley writes that Aruba Networks, a top provider of WLAN solutions, has received FIPS 140-2 certification as well as have its solution set “validated under the Common Criteria Wireless LAN Access System Protection Profile,” and Staley says that “as a result, Aruba now has a fully compliant listing in the WLAN Access System category on the United States National Security Agency/Central Security Service’s (NSA’s) Commercial Solutions for Classified Program Components List.” Being fully compliant with the NSA now means that Aruba can be chosen for a variety of projects in both classified and unclassified settings. Even better for Aruba, no other WLAN solutions provider has yet achieved that same validation with an 802.11ac WLAN solution.

The specific access points that received certification include the following:

“The AP-224 and AP-225 802.11ac access points (APs) featuring Aruba’s patented ClientMatch™ technology, which matches mobile devices to the best possible access point each time they connect, and the 7200 Series Mobility Controllers.”

Why is it important to get this kind of certification? Staley has a single, simple sentence that sums it up:

The use of commercial products in a classified environment by U.S. Government organizations requires approval by the NSA.

Even more important is the fact that Aruba is the only 802.11ac WLAN solutions provider so far to get these certifications. If Aruba can keep it that way, then they can potentially lock up a critical government sector as theirs, with all the revenue and profits that will come with that kind of monopoly.

Aruba also has certifications that see it on the United States Department of Defense’s (DoD) Unified Capabilities Approved Products List (UC-APL), allowing Aruba systems to be used by the Defense Department, as well as certification from the Australian Signals Directorate, which will allow Aruba products into a host of Aussie government networks.

Jon Green, CTO of Government Solutions for Aruba Networks, said :

“With these new certifications, government agencies can leverage the latest generation of wireless technology, confident that it meets the most stringent security requirements in the industry – those of classified networks.”

And without competitors that are also able to meet those security requirements, the only wireless technology that government agencies will be leveraging is Aruba’s.

For Staley’s piece at Benzinga, click here.