Enterprises and governments needing an extra layer of security on their Ethernet networks can now buy a high-speed encryption bundled solution from a partnership between network and data protection manufacturers.
Ciena Corp., which makes networking equipment, and SafeNet Inc., which makes data encryption appliances, have teamed to offer a combined Layer 2 solution for organizations that for regulatory reasons need to meet FIPS 140-2 standard for cryptography.
“We’re seeing demand pick up for encrypted services,” Jim Westdorp, Ciena’s director of industry marketing and government solutions, said in an interview Tuesday in explaining the partnership.
“The need to protect data in flight and not only when it’s at rest is becoming more pronounced.”
Point-to-point data communications can be easily secured at Layer 1 of a network, he said, but Ethernet (Layer 2) services need more effort.
For the bundles SafeNet is offering its Ethernet Encryptor appliance, which uses AES 256-bit encryption and meets Canadian and U.S. government security standards, Westdorp said.
It can be bought with a choice of Ciena’s Carrier Ethernet and Packet-Optical platforms.
Because there are so many switches Westdorp could only say prices range from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on whether the solution needs to run on 1 Gbps or 10Gpbs networks.
Partners from both companies will be able to sell the bundles, he said.
In Canada, BCE Inc.’s Bell Canada is one of Ciena’s biggest resellers, Westdorp said.