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Performance and security: best of all worlds

Jun

22

2016

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Written by: 

Kristina Cairns

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As complex and sensitive data transactions play an ever-expanding role in today’s world, users of electronic information, including service providers, customers, and government agencies, increasingly demand both high speed and undisputed security. These demands point to the market need for hardened security solutions that protect high-volume, sensitive transactions while still enabling performance.

We are addressing this market need both through alliances with partners like Citrix and F5 and by offering new solutions like the nShield XC Hardware Security Modules (HSMs).

As SSL/TLS encryption has become the default approach for protecting sensitive data flowing over the Internet, Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs) optimize traffic and meet the demands of high volume and high speed transactions. At the same time, SSL/TLS keys must be closely protected; attackers who gain access to SSL/TLS keys can steal confidential information, impersonate websites, and damage businesses. The Heartbleed security vulnerability disclosed in 2014 illustrated the importance of protecting SSL/TLS keys. Heartbleed enabled attackers to steal keys as well as any sensitive information that was being exchanged in a session, such as passwords and other business critical communications.

Integrated solutions using our nShield HSMs coupled with ADCs from Citrix and F5 let customers optimize SSL/TLS traffic while managing critical keys within FIPS-certified appliances. These integrations combine dedicated SSL/TLS termination, offload, and acceleration with key generation and management protected within tamper-resistant hardware—ensuring fast, available, and secure application delivery in data centers and the hybrid cloud. In fact, as reported in the 2016 Global Encryption Trends Study a recent independent study conducted by the Ponemon Institute, SSL/TLS protection is the top use case for HSMs with 45% of users utilizing them today.

Further demonstrating that speed and security needn’t be mutually exclusive, we recently introduced new nShield XC HSM models designed to meet the security and performance needs of government, financial services, enterprise email, credit card, and other industries who process fast-moving volumes of sensitive information. nShield XC HSMs are equipped to handle the world’s fastest elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) and accelerated symmetric and asymmetric algorithms to keep pace with customers who need fast crypto. And the nShield XC HSMs include expanded memory to support execution of custom applications in the secure runtime environment within the FIPS-certified boundary of the HSM using our unique CodeSafe feature.

As emerging technologies like Big Data, the Internet of Things, and Cloud enable business in innovative ways, it’s important to remember that security and performance can thrive together. We are committed to delivering solutions that support our customers’ needs to perform at the highest and most secure level possible.