Features - Storage Innovations:

DECRU SHIPS NEXT-GENERATION STORAGE SECURITY APPLIANCES

Decru Inc, a leader in networked storage security, announced that it has begun shipping its next generation Decru DataFort E510 storage security appliances for Network Attached Storage (NAS) environments. The product incorporates significant new features to strengthen security for stored data, including secure access controls, tamper-proof auditing and automated Lifetime Key Management.

Also announced, Decru is teaming with Network Appliance and MDY Advanced Technologies to deliver a solution for secure electronic records management. The solution set, which also supports applications from KVS and Documentum, has been certified by the U.S. Department of Defense to address DOD 5015.2 -- STD regulations, which specify rigorous requirements for systematic control of the creation, maintenance, use, reproduction and deletion of records.

"Customers are racing to address storage security and regulatory compliance, and they cannot trade off performance, reliability or business continuity," said Dan Avida, chief executive officer at Decru. "The new Decru DataFort E510 delivers powerful security, control and simplicity for network-attached storage environments, enabling customers to securely consolidate resources while reducing their vulnerability."

Inside Decru DataFort E510

Decru DataFort appliances combine secure access controls, authentication, storage encryption, and secure logging to provide unprecedented protection for sensitive stored data. By locking down stored data with strong encryption and routing all access through secure hardware, DataFort radically simplifies the security model for networked storage.

New DataFort E510 features include:

• Secure Access Controls -- The Decru DataFort appliance provides a powerful, single point of secure access controls and authentication for heterogeneous client and storage environments. DataFort integrates transparently with directory servers such as LDAP, Active Directory and NIS, and adds a layer of hardware-based enforcement to prevent a range of common attacks. For UNIX environments struggling with the limited flexibility and security of NIS, DataFort increases the granularity, flexibility, and security of access controls throughout the enterprise.
• Secure Logging -- A configurable audit trail logs access to Cryptainer vaults, as well as any administrative changes to the DataFort. This summary is cryptographically signed so that it cannot be tampered with, even by administrators.
• Lifetime Key Management system (LKM) -- Decru's LKM system securely automates key backup, recovery and archiving, drastically simplifying key management over time and across large organizations. LKM requires a quorum of Decru recovery smart cards for all sensitive recovery functions, eliminating single points of vulnerability. This simplifies disaster recovery scenarios and enables the transfer of Cryptainer vaults between DataFort appliances. A software recovery tool is provided to ensure data access in the event that DataFort hardware is rendered inoperable.

"Connecting shared storage to an enterprise IP infrastructure significantly increases the vulnerability of data to both internal and external threats. Organizations must build security models that provide 'defense in depth,'" said Nancy Marrone, senior analyst with Enterprise Storage Group. "Decru DataFort E510 simplifies storage security by integrating military-grade data encryption, automated key management, access controls and auditing into a hardened appliance that can be centrally managed."

Decru DataFort E510 security appliances support wire-speed AES 256-bit encryption over gigabit Ethernet, and are targeted for NAS and file server environments. The Decru product line provides the same advanced security and management capabilities for SAN environments -- the DataFort FC520 appliance is designed for 2-gigabit Fibre Channel networks, and also supports tape encryption. DataFort has been adopted by customers on three continents, in industries including financial services, semiconductors, telecommunications, manufacturing, aerospace, and government. Decru DataFort E510 storage security appliances are shipping now.

Providing security for data at rest in storage is a growing concern for IT organizations worldwide, due to increasing internal and external attacks. According to the FBI/Computer Security Institute, 50-80 percent of computer attacks originate behind the firewall, and 67 percent of companies reported internal breaches of their systems in the last 12 months. A broad range of federal and state regulations require corporations to protect the privacy and security of their data; penalties for non-compliance include significant fines, as well as civil and criminal prosecution.