A secure conference service has been introduced by Cellcrypt (News - Alert), a provider of secure mobile voice calling.

Those using BlackBerry or other popular mobile phones are provided with both device authentication and voice call encryption, with the help of this newly launched service.

To run their daily operations, organizations depend on conference calls. They also discuss confidential and highly sensitive information on calls such as sales, supplier and executive management meetings, intellectual property discussions, high value business deal talks, crisis management calls or even discussions concerning disaster scenarios and national security.

Through unauthorized access, the traditional conference calling services are open to abuse. Where access security is in place for conference calls, it is often poorly managed with dial-in details and PINs seldom changing.

Furthermore, as participants have become more dispersed, they often access conference calls using mobile phones, which are increasingly at risk of interception.

To ensure important conversations, from team briefings to board calls, remain confidential, the Cellcrypt Secure Conference Service both authenticates the participant’s mobile phone and encrypts conversations end-to-end between each participant and the conference bridge.

“Conference calls by their very nature typically contain some of the most sensitive and confidential information an organization has,” said Simon Bransfield-Garth (News - Alert), CEO at Cellcrypt. “These calls are highly desirable to attackers, who know just how valuable the information is. As the risk of cellular interception has increased so has the vulnerability of mobile executives accessing conference calls from the mobile phones. Organisations should urgently review their communications practices and act to protect their mission-critical conference calls.”

It is quite easy to use the conference calling service. The participants simply have to select a bridge number from their Cellcrypt Mobile enabled Blackberry or Nokia (News - Alert) smartphone to enter the call.

When connected via Cellcrypt’s Enterprise Gateway solution, office phones can also securely participate in conference calls.

By using a simple web console to define all users that may access the conferencing service, create bridge numbers, define policies such as user white lists and additional access PINs, the organisations can manage conference calls.

For authentication in geographies where the threat of interception is regarded as controlled, a bridge may optionally allow access from selected public telephones using Caller ID and PINs.

The service builds on Cellcrypt’s existing solutions that provide encrypted voice calls on mobile phones. It utilizes the IP data channel to support all major wireless networks, Wi-Fi and satellite. Encryption is government-grade and certified to FIPS 140-2 standard by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology.

In related news, AT&T (News - Alert) has approved Cellcrypt Mobile for BlackBerry under the AT&T Solution Certification Program.