The 10,000ft² (929m²) Satcom Direct (SD) Data Center at the company’s headquarters in Melbourne, Florida, was awarded ISO 27001:2013 certification in early December 2020.
The facility was assessed by BARR Advisory PA, a cloud-based security and compliance solutions provider specialising in cybersecurity and compliance for software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies.
The audit assessed the Data Center’s operational standards, to confirm it applies deep-rooted methodologies to business operations, employee activity and IT processes, supporting a structured approach to managing data security.
The ISO 27001 mandates continuous controls of operations, monitoring, maintenance and continuous improvement of the SD information security management system. The company is already SOC 2 type II and SSAE16 compliant. SD added that the certification further confirms to customers and partners that data security is a mission-critical priority.
“The ISO 27001 status further endorses our offering at a time when cyber events are the norm, not the exception,” said Jim Jensen, founder and CEO of SD. “Recent events in the industry demonstrate that cyberattacks are ever present, and the latest activity collated from our threat-monitoring subscribers confirms the growing threat. The need to protect data in the air, and on the ground, is imperative. This recognition gives customers even more confidence when selecting our powerful cybersecurity solutions. To meet the gold standard in data management is monumental and genuinely reflects our continued commitment to protecting and managing our customers’ data, while setting the highest industry standards.”
In addition to hosting data for local business and international corporates, the Data Center enables the proprietary SD Private Network (SDPN) service for aviation clients using the Satcom Direct Router (SDR) series and subscribing to high-speed data services.
SD noted its SDPN is fully redundant and highly scalable. It is designed to ensure existing corporate compliance and security protocols can be applied to an aircraft network, like any other corporate location. It provides the foundations for SD cybersecurity monitoring and protection services.
“We have more than 750 aircraft subscribing to our cybersecurity service, which is now a default service, along with the SDPN,” said Jensen. “Customers are beginning to recognise it’s a matter of when, not if, they may fall victim to cybercrime, so we are providing an end-to-end resource that encrypts data, transmits it to and from the aircraft, while bypassing the public internet. We also have visibility into the system to monitor for abnormal data behaviour so we can anticipate and avert cyber events.”
The Data Center operates in conjunction with COMSAT, a member of the SD family of companies. COMSAT operates Tier 4 certified teleports on the east and west coasts of the USA. It has just completed a high-throughput terrestrial upgrade, strengthening redundancy and expanding its transmission pathway capacity for existing and new companies launching satellites into LEO, GEO and MEO orbits. Customers now have the flexibility of connecting to the COMSAT network at more points of presence around the USA, Europe and Australia, to support network connectivity into the teleports.
“Despite the global pandemic we continue investing and enhancing our global network infrastructure,” said David Greenhill, CEO at COMSAT. “This latest phase positions COMSAT and SD as the most robust, secure, privately owned, globally redundant network in the industry. The changing needs of the growing number of COMSAT partners, their clients and SD customers drives us forward, and we will continue investing in our global infrastructure to meet and exceed evolving market demands. As we look to 2021, we now support more satellite constellation providers, and their customers, than any other provider globally.”
