RSA 2008: EMC strengthens disk-based security with new encryption capabilities

EMC Corporation today announced unique new data encryption capabilities for storage-devices that protects information at rest from unauthorized access or the unauthorized removal of a disk drive or array from a secured environment. The new EMC PowerPath Encryption with RSA integrates EMC PowerPath path management software with encryption and key management technology from RSA. Now, customers deploying EMC Symmetrix and EMC CLARiiON storage systems can benefit from a consistent security strategy and deployment in and around the data center and across the IT stack with central management and automation of encryption keys.

With this integration, EMC continues to execute and deliver another proof point of its commitment in providing information-centric security in the infrastructure. PowerPath Encryption with RSA is part of a series of announcements made today at the RSA Conference.

Leveraging EMC PowerPath software, with more than 600,000 licenses deployed, EMC PowerPath Encryption with RSA encrypts and decrypts data at the host, as it is sent to and from the array. The solution protects against unauthorized access or inadvertent loss of un-protected information via malicious attacks and spoofing of Fibre Channel hosts, and makes information inaccessible in the event of physical theft of media from the data center.

The new encryption solution uses RSA Key Manager for the Datacenter, an easy- to-use, centrally administered encryption key management system that can manage encryption keys at the database, file server, and storage layers. It is designed to simplify the deployment and ongoing use of encryption throughout the enterprise, and helps ensure that information is properly secured and fully accessible when needed at any point in its information lifecycle.

The new PowerPath Encryption with RSA yields a number of advantages compared to other encryption technologies, such as gateway products, including:

• Easier Deployment – PowerPath Encryption with RSA can be easily added to environments and is transparent to hosts, applications, replication, and backup infrastructure.
• Built-in High Availability – PowerPath Encryption with RSA provides a key management appliance that is configured in redundant pairs for no single point of failure, compared to alternative solutions that need multiple appliances to provide high availability.
• Greater Scalability and Centralized management- PowerPath Encryption with RSA provides encryption at the host and centralizes key management with RSA Key Manager for the Datacenter, which can support tens of thousands of hosts compared to other solutions that need additional appliances to meet growth requirements and cannot be centrally managed.
• More Flexibility – PowerPath Encryption with RSA gives users the ability to choose the LUNs or volumes they want to encrypt.