4 background information, Datacryptor ethernet unit, Gigabit ethernet technology overview – THALES DATACRYPTOR User Manual
Page 17: Ethernet layer 2 services, Background information
Datacryptor Ethernet User Manual
Background Information
1270A450-005 - June 2008
Page 17
4 Background Information
Datacryptor Ethernet Unit
The Thales Datacryptor Ethernet units are high performance, integrated security appliances that
provide encryption at high line speeds. The 1 Gig and 10 Gig Ethernet units operate at optical
line speeds and have the added advantage that they can, over limited distances, use copper
media. The device’s high-speed processing capabilities eliminate bottlenecks while providing
data encryption and integrity.
It is ideal for bandwidth intensive, latency sensitive applications that demand security and
speed, such as site-to-site VPNs, and the transfer of imaging over the network. It provides
secure transport over private or public networks.
Figure 4-1. An Example of a Site to Site Ethernet Layer 2 connection
A site-to-site VPN application is shown above. The Thales Datacryptor Ethernet is deployed on
either side of the connection, securing the data transmitted across the untrusted public
network. Data is sent from a web server through to the host network. It is then encrypted by the
Datacryptor Ethernet for secure transfer over the public network, where a second Datacryptor
Ethernet decrypts the data at its destination.
Gigabit Ethernet Technology Overview
The Gigabit Ethernet technology used by the 1 Gig and 10 Gig Ethernet units is the latest
specification in the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard series. This standard allows the transmission
of data at one or ten Gigabit per second transmission speeds (1 Gbps or 10 Gbps). However the
speed is usually designated as 1,000 Mbps or 10,000 Mbps, as appropriate, to comply with the
standard method of showing Ethernet network speeds.
Ethernet Layer 2 Services
Ethernet Layer 2 security services include:
Encryption - The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm is a symmetric block cipher
capable of using cryptographic keys of 128, 192, and 256 bits to encrypt and decrypt data in
blocks of 128 bits. The Datacryptor uses 256 bit keys.