Broadcom has added quantum-secure algorithms to its latest Fibre Channel card to encrypt traffic and detect ransomware in real time.
The Emulex Secure Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters (HBA) encrypts all in-flight between host servers and storage arrays using quantum-secure algorithms that are resistant to attack by quantum computers in the future.
The cost of ransomware attacks continues to rise with attacks in 2024 costing US$5.37 million on average per attack. Upcoming generative AI and quantum computers magnify the risk if data is not encrypted at all points in the data centre including the network.
- NIST approves post quantum encryption algorithms
The PCI Express (PCIe) 4.0 low profile card is intended to address the United States’ Commercial National Security Algorithm (CNSA) 2.0 mandate as well as the European Union’s Network and Information Security (NIS) 2 and Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) that require enterprises to modernize their IT infrastructures with post-quantum cryptographic encryption algorithms and zero trust architecture.
The zero trust platform with Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM) provides cryptographic authentication of endpoints, and silicon root-of-trust authentication.
Data centres have the option of deploying application encryption or network encryption to protect their data. Network encryption offers several important advantages versus application-based encryption including preserving storage array services such as dedupe and compression, which is destroyed when using application-based encryption. Network encryption also enables real-time ransomware detection while application-based encryption hides ransomware attacks.
The network approach includes no encryption performance penalty and simple, session-based key management says Broadcom. The session-based key management solution, based on the emerging ANSI/ INCITS FC-SP-3 standard, does not require complex and prohibitively expensive key management software. This is increasingly important with the expansion of AI datacentres in the US with Softbank’s project Stargate and in the UK.
- £14bn AI plan for UK datacentres
- ARM boost from $100bn project Stargate
“Customers are seeking ways to protect themselves against crippling and expensive ransomware attacks as well as complying with new government regulations mandating all data be encrypted,” said Jeff Hoogenboom, vice president and general manager, Emulex Connectivity Division, Broadcom. “The Emulex Secure Host Bus Adapter meets these needs by providing an elegantly simple solution that once installed, encrypts all data across all applications.”
The Emulex 32G and 64G Secure HBAs are available in 1, 2, and 4 port configurations and are shipping now.