Thales, the leader in information systems and communications security, and Layer 7 Technologies, the leader in Gateways for service-oriented integration, cloud connectivity and Web-to-mobile information sharing, announce the integration of the Thales nShield family of Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) within Layer 7 Gateways. This enhancement provides Layer 7’s security-conscious customers with new levels of security whenever they encrypt or digitally sign sensitive data to be shared across security boundaries, such as those that separate cloud-based applications, mobile device and networks of external partners.

By selecting the option to embed a Thales nShield HSM in a Layer 7 Gateway hardware appliance, customers required to follow cryptographic best-practices to ensure strong encryption and hardware-based key management now have access to a field-proven, one-stop solution from Layer 7. Thales nShield HSMs are certified to FIPS 140-2 Level 3 and Common Criteria EAL4+, delivering the highest levels of cryptographic security and best-in-class performance for cryptographic operations, including accelerated SSL termination and high-speed digital signing of messages. The integrated solution helps streamline compliance tasks and delivers FIPS-compliance for government and defense, banking and finance customers.

“By integrating Thales nShield HSMs with Layer 7 Gateways, we can give our customers out-of-the-box FIPS-compliant data and encryption key security, allowing them to protect their public key infrastructures with a cost-effective, drop-in solution when compared to integrating and certifying a separate HSM,” said Phil Walston, vice president of  product management at Layer 7. “The integrated Thales nShield solutions are especially valuable to our federal government and military customers, as well as other organizations in regulated industries like healthcare and financial services, who must demonstrate FIPS-compliance around password security and other user access issues.”

“As enterprises, governments, and service providers look to cloud-based initiatives, it is imperative the solutions available deliver the highest levels of security required to give these organizations the confidence to embrace these new services,” says Cynthia Provin, President Thales e-Security Inc. “With a long-established track record in providing best-practice security and FIPS-certified encryption solutions, we are delighted that Layer 7 has turned to Thales to help protect their customers’ sensitive data.”

Visit Thales (booth #2023) at the RSA Conference, Moscone Center, San Francisco, February 14-18, 2011

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