Security technology has been developed that allows sensitive
information to be passed across data networks without the need for
encryption or expensive hardware.
Network Diversity technology, developed by Nottingham University
and Amino Communications, breaks up private data into fragments
smaller than single characters and sends them over different
networks. Only at the final stage is the message recombined.
The reconstruction point is as close to the recipient as possible.
Fragmented data can pass through a corporate firewall yet remain
secure should the firewall be tapped.
However, most organisations have a number of firewalls for
different communications networks. Using the technology, each
network would only contain random, sub-symbolic fragments of the
original data. This would create a formidable challenge to any
would-be hacker.
"The problem with encryption is that the entire message lies hidden
in the cipher text, so with enough ingenuity and computing resource
there is always the risk that it can be revealed," said Martyn
Gilbert, chief executive of Amino Communications.
Students at Cambridge University recently created a modified
computer that they claim can break the Data Encryption Standard
(DES) in less than a week. The DES was regarded as unbreakable less
than five years ago.
"Anyone intercepting a Network Diversity communication will see
incoherent and meaningless data, because only a fragment of the
original data is 'on the wire'," Gilbert said.
The technology can be used on any type of data network and does not
degrade server performance. Amino claims to have two UK pilot
customers.