InfoGuard offer cost effective encryption for critical networks

New products address security and latency concerns for the aggregation of low bandwidth SONET/SDH networks

InfoGuard AG, the Swiss expert in high-performance encryption solutions, has expanded its range of SONET/SDH Encryption’s with new products to offer a cost effective option for lower bandwidth legacy networks to allow organisations to securely aggregate circuits onto modern Dark Fibre, DWDM and CWDM networks.

The new InfoGuard SG48, SG12, SG3 models support line rates of 2.488 Gbps, 622.08 Mbps and 155.52 Mbps respectively and cover all hierarchical levels of SONET/SDH networks. All models use the same core engine as InfoGuard’s flagship SG192 SONET/SDH Encryptor, offering Point-to-point Layer 1 SONET/SDH data encryption using AES with latency of less than 1μs.

All InfoGuard SG models accept an optional Time Division Multiplexing card (TDM), to allow several low-bandwidth protocols to be transformed into one STM-signal and subsequently encrypted. Where two or more links between two sites need to be encrypted, combining a TDM card with the encryption device is a highly cost-efficient solution. On the client side, several Fibre Channel Services, FICON Services or Gigabit Ethernet Services can be fed into the system, providing users with maximum flexibility.

“The new products are a response to requests from customers to provide economical encryption solutions for lower bandwidth legacy networks but without compromising on performance, security or ease of management,” explains Thomas Meier, CEO of InfoGuard, “The three new models have been developed strictly in accordance with the FIPS 140-2 level 3 requirements within our ISO 9001:2000 environment in Switzerland.”

Meier highlights the growing need for cost conscious organisations to converge traffic from legacy SONET/SDH circuits onto higher bandwidth and more cost effective wide area networks. However, many of these “legacy” networks contain highly sensitive, latency sensitive traffic. “This is often data that the organisation would feel nervous about placing on a shared WAN without encryption, “ explains Meier, “The expanded InfoGuard SG range allows organisations to deploy devices which match their unique needs while retaining a common method for handling key generation and management without interruption of traffic.”

InfoGuard products have been explicitly designed for longevity and require almost no maintenance. In order to guarantee uninterrupted service at all times, the devices are equipped with a redundant, hot swappable power supply in a tamper proof hardware design.

In the UK, the new SG range will be made available to InfoGuard partners via distributors Focus Europe and Avnet. Pete Smith, Operations Director for Focus Europe added , “The new InfoGuard products fulfils a valuable price performance area within the market that allow our partners to meet a diverse set of clients who are keen to reduce the cost of supporting legacy network traffic.”

InfoGuard’s customer base includes financial services, public sector, telecommunication providers, health care and manufacturing industries including illustrious names such as ABN Amro, Credit Suisse, Hoffmann-La Roche and Allianz Suisse. Prices of the new SG range start at 28,700 up to 52,000 Euros with units available immediately through global distribution with a flexible range of maintenance and support services delivered by an accredited partner community.