Emulex is collaborating with IBM to deliver a host-based
encryption system to secure data in cloud-based storage,
virtualised environments and converged networks.
The system is based on the Emulex Secure Host Bus Adapter (HBA)
that sits in every physical server in a datacentre and IBM's Tivoli
Key Lifecycle Manager.
Although due for commercial release in mid 2010, Emulex is to
demonstrate the system at the RSA Conference Europe 2009 this week
in London at the Hilton London Metropole.
Emulex claims this hardware-based approach to encryption
provides a cost-effective, easy to use way for enterprises to
protect data outside the server.
By encrypting every piece of data before it leaves the server,
this system avoids the need to classify data and keep track of it,
which simplifies data management, said Brandon Hoff, director of
security product management at Emulex.
The data is encrypted and therefore protected no matter where it
goes, for data in-flight on the network and for data at-rest on
disc arrays, he said.
The system is the first to offload encryption processing onto
the HBA card in the server, virtually eliminating reliance on the
main server processor.
This is in strong contrast with software-based encryption
systems that tend to be processor hungry and can consume up to 100%
processing power at peak periods, said Hoff.
The Emulex system uses the Key Management Interoperability
Protocol (KMIP), which was developed as an industry standard by
companies including IBM, RSA and Emulex.
This approach gives IT managers a seamless standards-based
encryption method that will enable them to achieve maximum
enterprise-wide datacentre protection, without affecting server
performance, said Steve Daheb, chief marketing officer at
Emulex.
Venkat Raghavan, director of security, risk and compliance at
IBM, said the combination of technologies will enable businesses to
minimise the risk of loss or breach of sensitive information.
The combination will also make it easier for organisations to
ensure compliance with regulatory standards that are becoming
increasingly stringent.
This is a powerful, standards-based step for providing security
for both virtualised and cloud environments, said Daheb.