Dafocom Solutions: Canadian Tech for Canadian Needs
Canadian made technology from Dafocom Solutions ensures safety and effective communication in the field
BY MARC MONTGOMERY
With a drastic change in the political winds, there’s been a renewed impetus for developing home-grown Canadian technology, products and supply chains to fulfill domestic needs. In terms of our national security this takes on a special and critical importance to ensure both the control of technology and its operational integrity.
At the forefront of this ‘Canada-first’ movement is Dafocom Solutions, a 100% Canadian and Indigenous owned and operated technology engineering firm based in Kanata, Ontario.
Working with Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) in data security and communications with its anti-hacking hardware and optical networks and systems, this Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) manufactures high-quality fiber optic and cybersecurity solutions.
Previously a family-owned business known as Renaissance Repair, the company was purchased by Len Anderson and Craig Bowditch in 2021. They shifted their products and development focus towards military needs but with commercial applications as well.
As Anderson tells CDR, cyber security products are just a part of their overall offering. “We enable and provision optical networks and optical products – like media converters and harsh environment ready assemblies. We build the devices that then connect optical networks together, multi-fibre loss testers, data networking via optical, but also internet as those two things interchange, and we design and build the interconnect whether connecting networks in close physical proximity, or at a distance. We build the products before you enter the networks, media converters and little gateways, and again all ready for harsh environment deployments.”
Editor’s note: Optical networks are communication systems that use light signals, instead of electrical signals, to transmit data over fiber optic cables, offering high-speed and long-distance communication capabilities.
Anderson adds that Dafocom can create customized solutions to complex problems to the highest level of quality, robustness, and security compliance.
One of the company’s flagship products is the Data Vault-1 (DV1) Data Diode, a plug and play unit that can fit in your hand. In terms of robustness, like all of their products, it has been fully tested for severe shock, vibration and operating capability in temperatures ranging from -40C to +80C. As a Layer-1 Encryption (L1E) hardware device it can secure various protocols including voice, data, ethernet, fiber, SDI (Signal Digital Interface) and CPRI (Common Public Radio Interface). The DV1 operates behind a network software firewall and only allows one-way data flow. For example, should a phishing email pass through a network firewall and be opened, the DV1 prevents a virus from being able to export any signal, data, or information without express physical authorization. The hardware diode cannot be broken by software/internet attacks.
DEPLOYMENT IN LATVIA
With three power options: AC, DC, and POE (Power Over Ethernet), these rugged devices are now in service as part of a recently completed DND contract with some 145 units provided to Canada for deployment on Operation REASSURANCE in Latvia where they are installed on the TAPV, LAV and used in C2 (Command & Control) operations.
Dafocom products and systems have also been used by Primes such as Thales and General Dynamics and other integrators in their contracts for the Royal Canadian Navy aboard the Halifax, Kingston, and Victoria-class vessels. Dafocom has also recently won a contract to supply fibre optics products to the Royal Canadian Air Force.
As for new techniques being used by state-sponsored hacking units, Anderson explains to CDR, “You hear about quantum computing and AI, how smart it’s getting and it’s going to be able to go through software and infiltrate networks. Well, these DV1’s are hardware only. The only way you can infiltrate it, is to literally go on site, or go into the vehicle or the room where the device is located and physically remove it, so that’s why with software or via the internet you can’t infiltrate it.”
NEXT GEN SECURITY
While the current anti hacking diode prevents theft and export of data, an .exe malware file that makes it through the firewall, designed to destroy rather than steal, is still a possibility.
At the time the Op REASSURANCE contract announcement in early 2024, Craig Bowditch, Dafocom’s Chief Financial Officer, said the contract “builds upon Dafocom’s success to-date in the cyber network security arena where we continue to develop innovative solutions”.
To that end, Dafocom is in the early stages of working on a product that will not only stop two-way communication from infiltrators into the network but will also have a ‘smart’ capability to sanitize and remove what’s being sent in so that any malware is stopped in its tracks. With its growing reputation, the company has also been contacted by the Communication Security Establishment (CSE) and initial discussions are underway towards designing and developing new and advanced products.
One project under discussion involves an FPGA-based protocol filtering diode, also known as a Field-Programable Gate Array, for integration with cross domain solutions. The US National Security Agency (NSA) is establishing a new standard for Five Eyes that will require a much higher degree of sophistication in a smart-enabled product that will have to be able to link two different domains being run by different entities – whether two different militaries or two different corporations – and communicate across the two while ensuring the security at all times.
Anderson says initial talks are underway with CSE for a framework agreement to begin collaboration to develop the highest standard, next-gen FPGA-based data diode. The CSE will be evaluating Dafocom designs in their labs, and providing guidance on performance/capability needs.
To that end Anderson tells CDR, “It’s to our advantage to have a Canadian developed cross-domain diode solution that is FPGA based.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Both Anderson and Bowditch say it’s exciting and important to be developing next-generation data security architecture as it relates to an FPGA based data diode. While there may be other companies around the world that are trying to develop these products, today, Dafocom would be one of few Canadian companies, if not the only.
Anderson and Bowditch note that this is a unique opportunity for innovative technology to be designed and built in Canada, for use by Canada and its Allies. “Such a development for our next-gen deployments is critically important for our sovereignty and to advance this rare skill-set ability in Canada,” they told CDR.
Anderson concludes, “There’s a realisation within CSE – and ourselves – that Canada should be creating its own tech solutions. These developments may take a few years to create and perfect but there’s a recognition that having a Canadian solution would be very good for our sovereignty and our technology base. Building such technology is wonderful for Canada.”
Marc Montgomery is a Regular CDR Contributor
