EMC Corporation 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, the Security Division of EMC. 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.

Improving the level of information protection using encryption helps companies comply with internal, private and government standards, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) - one of the most widely applicable compliance standards in the market today. The PCI DSS applies to every organization that processes credit or debit card information, including merchants and third-party service providers that store, process or transmit credit card/debit card data. As of the end of 2007, any organization that accepts payment card transactions must be in compliance with the standard and PowerPath Encryption with RSA can form a foundation for meeting that standard.

Heidi Biggar, Analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group, said, "Recent ESG studies indicate that securing data independent of where it resides or how it's stored is a critical customer requirement. While important for organizations of all sizes, EMC PowerPath Encryption with RSA can yield immediate security benefits for those heavily regulated industries, such as public sector, financial services, retail and healthcare, by making sure data is inaccessible in the event of loss or theft. With this announcement, EMC delivers another solid proof point in how storage and security can work hand in hand."

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.

Doc D'Errico, EMC Vice President and General Manager, Infrastructure Software Group, said, "With more sensitive data being generated than ever before, the need to comply with a number of internal and external security requirements has now become a prerequisite and not an option. EMC PowerPath Encryption with RSA sets a new standard for customers looking to encrypt data stored within or replicated between their data centers in order to satisfy those mandates. Not only does EMC continue to provide customers with products that offer and adhere to the highest security standards in the industry, but we're offering a level of integration and sophistication that can't be matched by our competitors."

Availability
EMC PowerPath Encryption with RSA is available in May from EMC.

EMC Corporation