Crypto Tool from Linoma to be Offered by Bsafe

July 15, 2008 Alex Woodie

i OS security software developer Bsafe Information Systems will sell Linoma Software‘s field-level encryption software for i OS, called Crypto Complete, as a component of its own Enterprise Security suite, the companies announced recently.

Linoma launched Crypto Complete nearly a year ago to address the growing demand for database encryption software on IBM i5/OS (now referred to simply as i). Much of this demand has been driven by the PCI Data Security Standard, and the need to protect names, credit card numbers, and other sensitive data that is sent across the network during payment transactions and often stored on servers.

What sets Crypto Complete apart from other encryption tools is the level of automation that Linoma built into the product. While Crypto Complete uses the IBM encryption APIs (for AES256, AES192, AES128, and Triple-DES) that are available to any i OS programmer, the level of technical skill required to implement these APIs in many circumstances was too high for many customers. Crypto Complete enables customers to automate the use of these encryption APIs, and to do so without modifying source code.

Crypto Complete also implements a native i OS key management system, and includes an integrated auditing function that logs all activity. In addition to encrypting files in DB2/400, it can be used to encrypt backups.

Avi Cramer, who was recently hired as CEO of the Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey-based Bsafe, says he was impressed with Linoma’s Crypto Complete, adding that it will make a good fit with Bsafe’s comprehensive security management software for i OS.

“In our evaluation of software-based encryption product suppliers, we found Linoma Software to have the best mix with regard to product and service offering,” Cramer says in a prepared statement. “Combining the Crypto Complete product’s encryption capabilities with Bsafe’s template-based compliance management functionality will give our customers a deeper level of security that will enable them to minimize the risk of fines and other penalties related to PCI or other compliance mandates.”

Bob Luebbe, president and chief architect of Linoma, which is based in Ashland, Nebraska, applauded the synergies generated by the partnership. “Combining Bsafe Enterprise Security’s state of the art security technology with Crypto Complete will allow our customers to have a single solution to meet their security requirements on the IBM i server platform, giving them the ability to put strict controls on data, facilitating their regulatory compliance, while allowing them time to concentrate on other mission-critical initiatives,” he says in a prepared statement.

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Do the Math When Looking at IBM i Hosting for Cost Savings

COVID-19 has accelerated certain business trends that were already gaining strength prior to the start of the pandemic. E-commerce, telehealth, and video conferencing are some of the most obvious examples. One example that may not be as obvious to the general public but has a profound impact on business is the shift in strategy of IBM i infrastructure from traditional, on-premises environments to some form of remote configuration. These remote configurations and all of their variations are broadly referred to in the community as IBM i hosting.

“Hosting” in this context can mean different things to different people, and in general, hosting refers to one of two scenarios. In the first scenario, hosting can refer to a client owned machine that is housed in a co-location facility (commonly called a co-lo for short) where the data center provides traditional system administrator services, relieving the client of administrative and operational responsibilities. In the second scenario, hosting can refer to an MSP owned machine in which partition resources are provided to the client in an on-demand capacity. This scenario allows the client to completely outsource all aspects of Power Systems hardware and the IBM i operating system and database.

The scenario that is best for each business depends on a number of factors and is largely up for debate. In most cases, pursuing hosting purely as a cost saving strategy is a dead end. Furthermore, when you consider all of the costs associated with maintaining and IBM i environment, it is typically not a cost-effective option for the small to midsize market. The most cost-effective approach for these organizations is often a combination of a client owned and maintained system (either on-prem or in a co-lo) with cloud backup and disaster-recovery-as-a-service. Only in some cases of larger enterprise companies can a hosting strategy start to become a potentially cost-effective option.

However, cost savings is just one part of the story. As IBM i expertise becomes scarce and IT resources run tight, the only option for some firms may be to pursue hosting in some capacity. Whatever the driving force for pursing hosting may be, the key point is that it is not just simply an option for running your workload in a different location. There are many details to consider and it is to the best interest of the client to work with an experienced MSP in weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each option. As COVID-19 rolls on, time will tell if IBM i hosting strategies will follow the other strong business trends of the pandemic.

When we say do the math in the title above, it literally means that you need to do the math for your particular scenario. It is not about us doing the math for you, making a case for either staying on premises or for moving to the cloud. There is not one answer, but just different levels of cost to be reckoned which yield different answers. Most IBM i shops have fairly static workloads, at least measured against the larger mix of stuff on the public clouds of the world. How do you measure the value of controlling your own IT fate? That will only be fully recognized at the moment when it is sorely missed the most.

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