Integrated Encryption and Security

Nortel has demonstrated the world's first successful prototype of an optical switch with integrated encryption, securing information from intrusion and theft as it is transmitted at the speed of light among users around the world.

Nortel is the first to achieve integrated data encryption for 10 Gbps optical networks using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) approved by the U.S. National Security Agency to ensure that the highest levels of security are met for confidential and sensitive communications.

"Security has become one of the world's greatest challenges in the new information age, and the advanced technology Nortel is demonstrating has the potential to revolutionize the way networks are secured," said Brian McFadden, chief research officer, Nortel. "Providing a global-scale approach to security that is transparent to users has the potential to make the integration of encryption security a standard component of tomorrow's transport networks."

The ability to use real-time encryption to secure the transport of large amounts of time sensitive information has applications in many industries, providing the potential to fuel growth of optical networks. Potential applications include media distribution in the entertainment industry, global scientific collaboration using grid computing by the research community, and real-time data back-up for the financial industry. The U.S. National Security Agency has already approved AES for the transport of all 'Top Secret' information.

"As sensitive information and intellectual property become more distributed across multiple networks through VPNs and applications like grid computing, concerns arise about ensuring security across these networks," said Tom DeFanti, professor of Computer Science and director of Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and research scientist and director of visualization, California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) at the University of California, San Diego. "The security of the network is critical, and the encryption technology that Nortel is demonstrating today can provide a significant step in this direction."