Not surprisingly, encryption plays a big part of the AME 2000's security appeal. "We utilize two layers of encryption instead of the one in a [standard] VPN. They operate in two different processors, the phone itself and in our hardware-encrypted chip," Schluckbier explained. Simple software app encryption, he said, is simply not enough protection for U.S. federal government use.
That hardware-encrypted chip is an unusual security feature that Motorola calls the CRYPTR micro. It looks like a microSD card, and it has the same form factor, but it's actually a hardware security module that provides tamper protection for tokens, keys, and certificates. It meets FIPS 140-2 Level 3 and National Security Administration Suite B encryption standards, and can perform high-assurance cryptographic operations.
