NSA Validates Wave Relay® devices to Protect Classified Information

Company's Wave Relay devices added to NSA's CSfC Component List and NIAP Product Compliant List (PCL) streamlining authorization process for networking classified data

NEW YORK, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Persistent Systems, LLC ("Persistent"), a leader in mobile networking solutions, announced today that its Wave Relay® devices have been approved by the National Security Agency (NSA) as IPsec VPN Gateway and MACsec components. When integrated in accordance with NSA approved Capability Packages, the system is approved to handle classified information, providing an alternative to Type 1 solutions. This approval makes Persistent the first and only MANET solution provider on the NSA's Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Component List.

The Department of Defense's (DoD) shift towards CSfC is part of a larger strategy prioritizing innovative commercial technology and preparing for a multi-national response to emerging near-peer conflicts. Traditional high-assurance products like Type 1 equipment, originally developed in the 1950s, are expensive, complex, export-restricted, and not able to deliver at the pace of future conflicts.

"The era of high-assurance products is coming to an end," said Patrick Schneider, Deputy Chief of Encryption Production and Solutions, Cybersecurity Directorate for the NSA, at the annual 2023 CSfC conference. He claimed that they are "hard to manage," "hard to upgrade," and "lagging in technology." Schneider also added, "It doesn't make sense for us to continue down that path."

(These statements were made during a public session and do not imply endorsement or official policy direction by the NSA.)

The CSfC Program was established to provide end users the ability to secure National Security Systems (NSS) by leveraging commercial technology. CSfC solutions can be used to protect classified data in a variety of applications. Thus, CSfC has not replaced Type I but rather CSfC is an alternative to Type I solutions. Persistent pursued CSfC approval to align with the Government's stated needs and technology roadmap.

"The NSA CSfC approval of our non-ITAR commercial networking solution ensures that, warfighters will have secure access to classified data even when working with foreign partners," said Leslie Hulser, Executive Vice President of Persistent Systems. "We anticipate agile deployment of communication and networking equipment will be vital in potential battlespaces, like the island chains across the Indo-Pacific region."

In addition to CSfC, the NSA grants NIAP Product Compliant List (PCL) certifications to commercial off-the-shelf information technology solutions that are evaluated as secure for government and defense applications.

"NIAP certification is recognized by 33 nations as a standardized framework for evaluating and approving cybersecurity solutions, so this is great news for our international customers who want a validated and secure product," Hulser said.

The two layers of approved encryption on the CSfC Component List and NIAP PCL are Persistent's MACsec and IPsec security protocols. Persistent currently uses these layers to meet the requirements of the CSfC Multi-Site Connectivity and Tactical Capability Packages for the company's over-the-horizon Cloud Relay™ solution, which securely connects teams across the globe over third-party transport technology, such as 5G Cellular or Starlink/SATCOM.

"We solved the difficult part. The attack surfaces of SATCOM and host nation Cellular communication are vast, representing the most exposed domains in modern military communication," said James Harrison, Principal Product Security Engineer at Persistent. "Now, our two layers of NSA CSfC approved encryption enable users to communicate confidently across these transports, with the encryption residing on their MPU5 handheld MANET devices—reducing size, weight, power, cost, and complexity on the end-user."

Now listed on the CSfC Components List, end-users and CSfC Trusted Integrators can build NSA-trusted solutions, fostering industry collaboration and ensuring a robust and reliable communications solution for all mission sets, regardless of location or classification level.

What's more, Cloud Relay™ using CSfC-approved and NIAP-certified modules is available at no additional cost in Wave Relay® Firmware 19.7.5.1.

About Persistent Systems, LLC

Persistent Systems, LLC is a global Defense Tech provider of mobile networking solutions for military, first responder, government, and commercial markets. We engineer our Wave Relay® MANET and Cloud Relay™ technology to transmit voice, video, and situational awareness under the most difficult conditions. Through the Wave Relay® Ecosystem, an alliance of industry-leading companies, Persistent unites warfighters, UGVs, UAVs, sensors, cameras, and devices on a common network. Persistent was founded in 2007 and has offices in New York City, Colorado, North Carolina, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming.

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SOURCE Persistent Systems, LLC