Product category: Networking Hardware
News Release from: nCipher | Subject: HSMs
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 07 February 2007
Hardware security modules support PCI
Express
Portfolio of FIPS-validated hardware security modules is the first to offer support for PCI Express, the successor to the PCI interface.
nCipher has announced that its portfolio of FIPS-validated hardware security modules (HSMs) is the first to offer support for PCI Express (PCIe), the successor to the PCI interface The use of hardware security devices is a firmly established best practice for protecting cryptographic keys, overcoming many of the inherent security weaknesses of running business software on general purpose servers
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 21 Dec 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Hardware security module drops in to protect
Module provides OEMs with a simple and secure drop-in solution for data encryption, digital signing and strong authentication.
Compact and fast dual gigabit Ethernet
Advantech, industrial computer manufacturer and automation innovator, releases its PICMG-3.1-compliant PCI Mezzanine Card (PMC), the MIC-3665.
Car PC with UPS now ships with Pentium power
Kontron has equipped its Car-PC CV-Server with the Intel Pentium M processor, part of the Intel Mobile Centrino technology.
However, as servers and PCs become faster and smaller the internal interfaces that support plug-in components such as HSMs are periodically redefined.
By supporting PCIe - the most recently introduced interface - nCipher allows enterprises to extend hardware-based cryptographic protection to these next generation platforms.
"As the leading provider of HSMs we pride ourselves on delivering to our customers not only the best solutions to overcome the problems associated with software security, but also provide the assurance that our products integrate and are fully compatible with the latest in server technology", says Mark Knight, Product Manager at nCipher.
"Customers expect nCipher to be at the leading edge of cryptographic security and our support of PCIe is another example of nCipher meeting those needs".
Within the nCipher portfolio the netHSM is the first to provide support for PCIe.
netHSM is a highly secure platform that is deployed as a shareable cryptographic resource for use by multiple servers.
Applications and business processes that require access to hardware-protected keys and cryptographic processes such as encryption or digital signing can share access to the netHSM over secured network connections.
Individual servers typically communicate securely with the netHSM through the use of a local hardware authentication module, nToken, which strongly authenticates connections and protects the network traffic.
The new PCIe nToken ensures that the netHSM can only be accessed by authorised servers.
The unique authentication credentials are held within each respective tamper-resistant nToken module and presented to the netHSM for validation as cryptographic services are requested.
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 is the most widely recognised benchmark for cryptographic security best practices.
All nCipher HSMs are certified to FIPS 140-2 level 2 or 3.
• nCipher: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
