Secure e-business pioneer Cylink Corporation (Nasdaq:CYLK) today announced that its SAFER+(TM) encryption algorithm is being used for user authentication within Bluetooth(TM), a protocol that is rapidly growing in use for wireless communications
More than 1,700 companies support the Bluetooth protocol. With Bluetooth-enabled devices, a wireless personal area network (PAN) for mobile commerce can easily be created using peripheral devices, notebooks or handheld computers, smart telephones, and even vending machines. The SAFER+ algorithm is one section of the Bluetooth protocol. The algorithm enables one user to send a test message to a recipient for encryption and compare the returned encrypted message with his own encryption of the test message. A perfect match verifies the recipient's authenticity.
"The strength of Bluetooth-enabled products is that they automatically sync up with all other Bluetooth devices within 10 yards to provide on-the-fly networking and communications," said Paul Mason, group vice president of Infrastructure Software Research for IDC. "However, this makes all data on the products - including the most sensitive information - freely available to other Bluetooth users. The SAFER+ algorithm provides the authentication critical to keeping this information secure."
The announcement coincides with the expiration of the patent covering the algorithm popularly known as RSA. That patent expiration is expected to bring benefits similar to those the security industry saw when Cylink released its SAFER algorithm into the public domain in 1993.
Not long after Cylink's release of the enhanced SAFER+ algorithm in 1998, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), an alliance of leading telecommunications, computing, and network companies including 3Com, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Lucent, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba, began developing its short-range wireless networking specification using the algorithm. SAFER+ is a royalty-free, non-proprietary enhancement of the SAFER algorithm with improved performance and increased security.
The RSA algorithm's entry into the public domain is expected to lead to similar enhancements and help speed the adoption of encryption standards that are critical to the increased interoperability of network security devices.
"Once again, Cylink is delighted to offer breakthrough technology that protects the integrity of communications for people and businesses," said Peter Slocum, vice president of Engineering at Cylink. "SAFER+ is the most recent example of our policy of developing cryptographic solutions for practical business problems, including an array of public key-based solutions, and triple-DES, the industry standard for strong security."
Since the SAFER algorithm's 1993 release at the Fast Software Encryption Conference in the United Kingdom, it has withstood the scrutiny of the world's top crypto-analysts. SAFER+ was built on the proven track record of SAFER and is designed to meet the next generation of security requirements. It was developed by an international team of world-class cryptographers, led by Professor James Massey of ETH, Zurich, and funded by Cylink.
SAFER+ Algorithm Now Available on Cylink's Web Site
The SAFER+ algorithm and related information is now available for download from the Resource Library of Cylink's web site: http://www.cylink.com.
[ Home | Contact | MobiChat | Experts database | Let's do it ]
Comments to the content of this page can be posted on the MobiChat discussion group