Security Is More Than Encryption T here’s a common — and increasingly risky — assumption in modern product development: “We use AES-256, so the device is secure.” Encryption matters, but it only protects data in transit. It does nothing to address compromised firmware, opaque toolchains, untrusted silicon, or supply chains you don’t control. Yet across defense and critical-infrastructure markets, products are routinely marketed as “secure” even when the companies behind them don’t write their own firmware, don’t control manufacturing, and don’t fully understand what their hardware is doing at the chip level. This gap is not theoretical. It is where modern vulnerabilities live. In contemporary conflict and competition, compromise does not always arrive loudly. Sometimes it is kinetic and sometimes it is silent — embedded in firmware, introduced through a component substitution, or hidden behind an undocumented interface that no one bothered to audit. Once deployed, those weaknesses propagate downstream, inserted directly into operational systems. Security, in this context, is not a feature — its' a system property. Engineered for Trust Under Constraint PATCH is designed with the assumption that it will be deployed in environments where infrastructure cannot be trusted and scrutiny is guaranteed. That assumption drives architectural decisions across the entire system. Roper is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for PATCH. Circuit board design, fabrication, programming, and device assembly occur in the United States under our direct oversight. All firmware and software, including the PATCH mobile application, are developed and maintained by our team of U.S. citizens. PATCH is fully NDAA compliant. The system is intentionally designed with a reduced attack surface: No Internet connectivity or IP-based networking No operating system (bare-metal firmware) No open-source code No physical ports or external interfaces Devices intended solely for tracking and situational awareness operate with Bluetooth disabled. PATCH is designed with no persistent data storage. Location, activity, and message data are not stored on the device. Encryption keys and network configuration data exist only for the duration of an active session and are wiped when the SnapMesh network is shut down or when a device loses power. Data transmitted over SnapMesh is encrypted using AES-256 with a one-time-use key generated at network initialization. Communications between PATCH and a paired smartphone use Bluetooth Low Energy Secure Connections with AES-128 encryption and ECDH key exchange (P-256), along with LE Privacy to limit device tracking and correlation. PATCH also actively monitors network integrity. Replay attacks are detected and blocked, with users notified if an attack is detected while maintaining network operation. PATCH has been independently tested in the field to be resistant to jamming outside 277 yards. Why This Matters Secure systems are not declared. They are engineered. When hardware, firmware, manufacturing, and supply chain are treated as separate concerns, trust collapses under real-world conditions. When they are designed as a coherent system, security becomes durable — not because it is advertised, but because it is difficult to undermine. This is what disciplined engineering looks like in an era where failure is often silent, asymmetric, and irrevers ible.

PATCH was developed to address a real operational gap: maintaining situational awareness and secure communication for teams operating without reliable infrastructure. The inventors, Maeve Garigan and Dana De Coster , first worked together in 2015 while supporting US Special Operations units. At the time, Maeve was deploying new technologies with operational teams, and Dana was serving as an Operations Officer overseeing West Coast SEAL elements. Their early collaboration included the deployment of backpackable reconnaissance drones, combining operational need with rapid technical execution. That experience highlighted a recurring problem: teams lacked a reliable way to maintain awareness of friendly forces and communicate securely when cellular, Wi-Fi, satellites, or legacy radio systems were unavailable or inappropriate. PATCH was initially conceived as a wearable tracking device designed to be lightweight, rugged, and easy to use in the field. The form factor was intentionally a patch-style wearable, integrating seamlessly into existing uniforms and equipment rather than adding another device to manage. As the concept matured, it became clear that tracking alone was insufficient. Operational feedback pointed to the need for secure, off-grid communication at the tactical level. The system was expanded to support encrypted messaging and data exchange over a self-forming mesh network, independent of external infrastructure. PATCH pairs with a mobile application that provides a user interface for messaging, location sharing, and status awareness. Communications are protected using AES-256 encryption, and the system is designed without persistent data storage. Encryption keys are generated at network initialization and are discarded when the network session ends. Location, activity, and message data are not stored on the PATCH device, reducing residual data exposure in the event of device loss. The first PATCH prototype was designed and built in six weeks for an invite-only military technology demonstration in June 2021. That early prototype demonstrated the core concept: secure, infrastructure-independent situational awareness and communication in a wearable form factor. PATCH continues to evolve based on real operational requirements, with a focus on reliability, security, and usability under constraint.