SafeNet's Crypto Appliance Plugs Into SOA

Published: February 10, 2009

by Alex Woodie

Software developers who are wondering how they're going to incorporate encryption into their service oriented architectures (SOAs) may want to check out SafeNet. Last week, the Baltimore, Maryland, company announced that its hardware-based cryptographic appliances can now integrate into their SOAs using a standard XML-based Web service interface.

SafeNet has been in the IT security business for the last 25 years and has sold more than 75,000 hardware security modules (HSMs), which it claims is more than any other vendor. These HSMs handle a variety of security tasks, including VPNs, encryption key managers, and disk and database encryption engines. SafeNet also builds its own line of security processors (which it sells to OEMs), puts encryption capabilities on PCI cards, sells USB-based encryption keys, and, with its recent acquisition of Ingrian Networks, is an expert in z/OS encryption.

Now, with its SafeNet Luna XML offering, the vendor is positioning its line of HSMs and encryption appliances as trusted security elements for SOA deployment. By exposing its HSMs through a basic XML/SOAP programming interface, SafeNet is eliminating the need for customers to work with cryptographic APIs, such as PKCS#11, Java JCA/JCE, and Microsoft's CryptoAPI, the vendor says.

Customers using Web services to build SOAs from pre-existing applications can tie into SafeNet's HSM Luna XML interface. This gives them the assurance that data and transactions traversing their SOA will be safely enclosed within an encrypted transmission, no matter which underlying platforms the SOA runs on, the company says.

"SafeNet’s XML hardware security module is designed to provide cryptographic services for SOA without adding complexity," Derek Tumulak, vice president of product management for SafeNet, says in a press release. "Furthermore, by utilizing our encryption solution to secure SOA, companies can reduce costs, streamline business processes, drive corporate agility and meet regulatory compliance."

For more information on SafeNet, visit www.safenet-inc.com.

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