Decru and Nishan Work Together to Secure Data in Storage

Decru, Inc. and Nishan Systems recently announced that the Decru DataFort(TM) FC440 security appliance and the Nishan IPS 3300 and 4300 IP storage switches are fully interoperable. The combination of Nishan's IPS 3300/4300 IP switches with Decru's DataFort allows enterprises to securely expand access to their SAN infrastructure, protecting data both in flight and at rest.

A geographically distributed Fiber Channel storage area network (SAN) offers significant benefits, including remote tape backup, remote tape vaulting, asynchronous and synchronous disk mirroring and disaster recovery. However, when expanding access to SAN resources across a WAN, security becomes a critical consideration. Incorporating the Decru DataFort ensures that all data is fully encrypted in storage, and that only authorized remote hosts can access and decrypt the data. Applications for the combined Decru/Nishan solution include:

• Companies can now securely extend their storage infrastructures across IP networks to share data with remote divisions, partners, or customers.
  


• Disaster recovery programs require offsite data storage for mission critical information, but increase the risks of unauthorized access to the data. By deploying a DataFort in front of Nishan IPS switches that connect primary storage with a mirrored remote site, data is fully protected in primary storage, across the IP connection to the remote location, and at the mirrored site.
  

The testing, which took place at the Nishan interoperability lab, simulated several deployment scenarios within IP and SAN environments. In one example, Decru DataFort was placed between a host and the Nishan IPS switch, so only encrypted data was sent over IP and storage networks. This scenario protects data both in transit and at rest in storage. The storage devices used in the test environment included the XIOtech Magnitude and HDS Lightning 9900.

"The interoperability of Nishan storage switches with our security appliance confirms our commitment to help enterprises to safely store, share and manage data while keeping it fully protected," said Dan Avida, President and CEO of Decru. "We are pleased to be working with Nishan to assist customers in deploying our technology within their existing networks."

"By working with Decru, we can help customers better leverage their investment in a storage network by securely broadening access to data," said Bob Russo, CEO of Nishan Systems. "Demonstrating interoperability between Decru's DataFort and Nishan's switches lets our customers know that they can easily equip their storage networks with these products and rest assured that their data is securely stored."

Decru DataFort
The Decru DataFort (TM) FC440 solves the problem of secure data storage with robust, wire-speed encryption and authentication appliances that fit transparently into any SAN storage environment, protecting data from both internal and external threats.

The DataFort appliance allows enterprises to conquer storage security challenges - most significantly, protecting data in storage from unauthorized access, but also securing backup media and protecting disaster recovery sites.

Nishan IP Storage Switches
Nishan IP Storage switches support Fibre Channel switching, Gigabit Ethernet switching, and wire-speed conversion between Fibre Channel and Gigabit Ethernet. Interfaces can be configured to support iSCSI end systems, Fibre Channel end systems, or Fibre Channel SANs. The multi-protocol switches also support, via iSCSI or iFCP, remote storage links of any distance across high-speed IP networks.

They can be used to connect existing Fibre Channel SANs through a standard E_Port interface or to build an IP SAN fabric that integrates Fibre Channel and iSCSI devices with data center, metro-area, or wide-area IP networks.

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