Privacy across private and public clouds with new Brocade functionality

• Claims industry’s first wire-speed inline encryption for modular routers
• Customers need security everywhere, but especially for data-in-flight over the WAN

BROCADE has announced what it claimed was the industry's first native port-based encryption functionality for modular routers.
 
This offering delivers encryption embedded in-line with the I/O ports, enabling customers to avoid the significant performance loss, operational complexity, and prohibitive cost associated with services blades or external appliances used for encryption.
 
The new capability better enables comprehensive privacy for all data across campus, data centre, and wide area networks (WANs) belonging to enterprises, service providers, and the public sector, Brocade said in a statement.
 
To protect data-in-flight between data centres, branch offices, and campus buildings, Brocade added IPsec Suite B algorithms with support for AES 256-bit keys to the family of Brocade MLXe routers via a purpose-built line module and operating system enhancements.
 
The updates eliminate the need for expensive specialised switch/ router encryption services blades or third-party security appliances, while also eradicating performance-inhibiting latency and complex operations that are inherent with these types of add-on devices, the company said.
 
It's common knowledge among IT teams that adding security devices severely impacts application performance and employee productivity, forcing difficult decisions that can put the business, as well as employees and customers, at risk, Brocade added.
 
The new security functionality added to the Brocade MLXe routers includes both 256-bit IPsec encryption and 128-bit MACsec encryption, the gold-standard protocols used by organisations to help ensure end-to-end data protection.
 
“With data breaches making headlines around the world, securing confidential information is top of mind for every organisation,” said Sean Ong (pic), Brocade’s Malaysia country manager.
 
“As customers tackle the data privacy challenge, they need security everywhere in their infrastructure, but especially for data-in-flight over the WAN.
 
“Historically, performance and cost have been key barriers to broad adoption of network encryption technology.
 
“By utilising innovative, I/O-based encryption in Brocade MLXe routers, organisations can now deploy up to 44 Gbps of wire-speed IPsec encryption per trunk and over 1 Tbps per router, achieving five times the performance at a third of the cost – and without the operational complexity – of comparable solutions,” he claimed.
 
The new IPsec encryption module for the Brocade MLXe, MACsec-capable modules, and supporting software are shipping now, Brocade said.
 
Hardware modules that support up to 200 Gbps of wire-speed MACsec encryption are priced starting at US$90,000. A module that supports both IPsec and MACsec at up to 44 Gbps wire-speed performance is priced at US$120,000.
 
The Brocade NetIron OS 5.8 software that enables encryption functionality on these modules is available at no additional cost to customers with a Brocade service contract.
 
Related Stories:
 
Brocade says new controller opens up path to user-centric networking
 
The 3 biggest networking shifts, from the new Juniper CEO
 
Software-defined networking: Taking the right path
 
 
For more technology news and the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Like us on Facebook.