Public Relations

Asgent Announces the Release of “SafeEnterprise Ethernet Encryptor”, an Appliance for High Speed Ethernet-based Encrypted Communications

July 25, 2007
Asgent,Inc.

Asgent, Inc. (President & CEO: Takahiro Sugimoto, located in Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo), a pioneer in security solutions, today announces the signing of a distribution agreement with SafeNet Japan, Inc. (President: Kiyoshi Sako, located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture) to sell the Ethernet-based encryption appliance “SafeEnterprise Ethernet Encryptor” (below, Ethernet Encryptor).

■ Background

The internet is now an essential part of business for many companies. At the same time, many companies utilize dedicated lines or VPN service provided by carriers in order to minimize the risk of information leaks. However, following the introduction of the Personal Information Protection Act, there have been a growing number of companies within industries dealing with highly confidential information (especially financial institutions and government organizations etc.) considering ways to protect this data themselves rather than relying on carriers.
Traditionally, IPSec has been primarily uses for network encryption, but the following issues exist when using IPSec technology.

• Headers are attached to the IP packet when it is encrypted, so the amount of overhead and packet delay increases in direct proportion to the number of short packets, such as those used by VoIP.
• IPSec cannot be used in networks that utilize layer 3 protocols other than IP such as SNA etc. Therefore, there is a large demand for an encryption solution that is both high-speed and supports various protocols.

It is with these issues in mind that Asgent announces the start of sales of “Ethernet Encryptor”, an appliance for Ethernet-based encrypted communications. Ethernet Encryptor does not rely on upper layer protocols, because it encrypts Ethernet frames at layer 2. Therefore, data within networks using protocols such as SNA can be easily encrypted. Moreover, because only the data load within the Ethernet frame is encrypted without any additional headers, there is no packet overhead. Also, wire line rate performance of 100Mbps and 1Gbps at full duplex means that there is no need to worry about bottlenecks in networks where short packets, such as those used by VoIP, are predominantly used.

Asgent plans to target Ethernet Encryptor at financial institutions, government organizations and companies that handle highly confidential personal information.

■ SafeEnterprise Ethernet Encryptor

Start of Sales: July 25th , 2007

Sales Target: 50 sets (1 set = 2 hardware units + 1 management tool)

<< Lineup and Price >>

SafeEnterprise Ethernet Encryptor: \1,738,000〜 (includes first year maintenance)
Security Management Center (management tool): \780,000 (includes first year maintenance)

<< Features >>

• Wire line rate performance of 100Mbps and 1Gbps at full duplex.
• Encryption is performed at layer 2, so layer 3 protocols such as IP, SNA etc. are fully supported.
• The data load within the Ethernet frame only is encrypted, resolving IPSec issues such as performance degradation and increases in packet overhead.
• Encryption can be performed by just installing the solution on the existing network.
• Support for AES256bit algorithm.
• Centralized management of multiple Ethernet Encryptor units with one management tool reduces burden on the network administrator.

<< Specifications >>

Model	10Mbps	Fast Ethernet(100Mbps)	GbE
Encryption Specifications	AES256bit, CFB Counter Mode
Key Management	RSA Public Key Auto Session Update Authentication by X.509 Certificate
Interface	10/100Base-T RJ-45	10/100/1000Base-T RJ-45	10/100/1000Base-T RJ-45 or SFP*1
ConsolePort	10/100 EthernetPort (RJ-45) x1, RS-232
Size (mm)	41 (H) x 432 (W) x 282 (D) (1RU)

*1 Select from SMF or MMF