Cryptographic Accelerators Provide Quick Encryption
April 19, 1999
By Lori MacVittie
Protecting sensitive data from prying eyes is the goal of secured Web servers across any network. The cost of that privacy is, at first, minimal: A certificate from a trusted authority and a flick of a switch in your Web server's configuration converts your site into a secured channel for sensitive business transactions. But as more customers demand access to your Web-based services, the load on your Web server intensifies. The calculations necessary to secure your customer's data eventually take a toll on performance, and customers frustrated by an unresponsive server give up on your site.
Encryption routines may well be the most expensive operations that your Web server undertakes. Cryptographic accelerators offload all encryption-based processing from an already overloaded secure Web server to hardware designed to handle CPU-intensive operations. As a result, you witness improved response times and an increased number of simultaneous connections that your Web server can handle.
We tested two HCMs (hardware cryptographic modules)--nCipher's nFast 300 Cryptographic Accelerator and Rainbow Technologies' CryptoSwift Secure Server Accelerator. We invited Compaq Computer Corp. to submit Atalla (WebSafe2), but the vendor said its product is designed for improving security, not increasing performance. Okiok Data also declined to participate.
 Click to view the Report card on Cryptographic Accelerators
We saw the biggest differences between nFast and CryptoSwift in performance, price and installation. nFast 300 costs almost 10 times more than CryptoSwift, and while it performed much better than its counterpart, it was difficult to install. In our tests, CryptoSwift provided effortless installation at a more affordable price, but it performed less admirably under stressful conditions.
With a limitation of three CryptoSwift boards per server bus, scalability is restricted to 600 RSA key signings per second. nFast 300, scalable to seven units with its Fast SCSI-2 interface, is a much better option for increasing performance quickly and easily.
We give our Editor's Choice award to nCipher's nFast 300 for a performance boost well worth the money. Additional security measures, such as its tamper-resistant external casing, are also noteworthy. CryptoSwift's painless installation, along with support for Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Information Server (IIS), warrant serious consideration for small businesses that need less of a performance jolt. This, combined with its attractive pricing, earned CryptoSwift our Best Value award.
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