12-Mar-2021

Secure Internet Access - the basis for a barrier-free emergency call app

Against the backdrop of the obligation to implement three EU directives and based on the UN Disability Rights Conventions, Germany is introducing an emergency call app for people with hearing and speech impairments in 2021.

The app will provide an alternative emergency call option and ensure greater accessibility. Extensive trial operations of the app, which will be mandatory, have already been successfully completed. As soon as possible, it should be possible to transmit emergency call data, such as location and information about the event, to the emergency call centers via the app. In this way, emergency calls can also be made via smartphones and apps in the future.

However, this important and positive step for users confronts the integrated control centers (ILS) of the police and fire departments with various challenges. For example, workstations that were previously strictly separated from the Internet for security reasons must be made Internet-capable. Since browsers are the most common gateway for cyberattacks on government endpoints and networks, control centers must rely on highly secure solutions.

Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity supports control centers in this use case with the highly secure and easy-to-integrate R&S®Browser in the Box. The fully virtualized R&S®Browser in the Box was developed in cooperation with the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and has been successfully deployed in government environments for many years. Instead of a separate PC for Web access, a virtual PC is created on the workstation PC. The operating system and browser have no direct access to the hardware, but only to the virtual hardware, which acts like an additional protective wall. Intruding viruses, Trojans and other malicious code remain locked in this environment and cannot spread on the computer and in the local network. Restarting the browser always takes place in a malware-free state. The user-friendly solution does not affect PC performance and allows safe use of the Internet while preserving all web functionalities. At the same time, the browser is easy to install and centrally administered. Control centers can thus easily create a secure foundation for the operation of the new accessible emergency call app.

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Rohde & Schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz is striving for a safer and connected world with its Test & Measurement, Technology Systems and Networks & Cybersecurity Divisions. For over 90 years, the global technology group has pushed technical boundaries with developments in cutting-edge technologies. The company's leading-edge products and solutions empower industrial, regulatory and government customers to attain technological and digital sovereignty. The privately owned, Munich based company can act independently, long-term and sustainably. Rohde & Schwarz generated net revenue of EUR 2.93 billion in the 2023/2024 fiscal year (July to June). On June 30, 2024, Rohde & Schwarz had more than 14,400 employees worldwide.

R&S® is a registered trademark of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG.

Networks & Cybersecurity

With its subsidiaries LANCOM Systems, Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity, and Rohde & Schwarz SIT, the group has bundled its expertise in one division. Know-how that is needed to become the largest provider of network and cybersecurity technology for companies, public authorities, and organizations in Europe.