Canberra-based cyber security company, Penten has launched a new business units focused on delivering secure and easy-to-use communication technologies that are compatible across military, emergency, and humanitarian applications.

Called Tactical Communications Security, the new business unit was launched by Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price on November 12 to coincide with the awarding of a $520,000 Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority grant to the company. The new business unit will be led by Penten’s Chief Technology Officer, Merik Karman, and has a team of 10 people specialising in advanced electronics, waveforms, cryptography, photonics, field programmable gate arrays, and high assurance security.

“We knew that Penten had the capability and the expertise to develop and provide support and solutions to Australia’s radio communications companies to meet Defence needs, allowing those in uniform to focus on doing their job rather than managing technology,” Penten CEO Matthew Wilson said in a statement. “This sovereign technology demonstrates that Australian Industry has the capacity and capability to develop home-grown solutions that are focussed on delivering to Defence a technology advantage.”

Wilson said the technologies being developed would harness the critical advanced manufacturing skills and expertise within Australia, would allow different Defence elements to co-ordinate and communicate effectively, easily and securely, and will deliver highly complex technologies in a simple solution to enable the focus on the mission.

“Penten is a great example of a small business working with Defence to deliver leading-edge capability for our servicemen and women,” Minister Price said in a separate statement. “It is businesses like Penten that provide us confidence that our ADF will maintain its capability edge into the future.

“The Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grants Program helps to make our small and medium businesses more competitive and our supply chains more secure.”