NetFortress G-VPN Hardware Wins Federal Validation.TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 1999-- Fortress Technologies Added to Select Group of Vendors Awarded National Institute of Standards & Technology Validation Fortress Technologies Inc., a leading developer of virtual private network (VPN) and other data security solutions, has added the segmented version of its NetFortress(R) VPN hardware encryption product to the list of Fortress products to receive level two Federal Information Processing Standard Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military government agencies and by government contractors. (FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) A series of publications issed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that specifies information security guidelines for federal government departments and agencies. ) 140-1 cryptographic security validation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology National Institute of Standards and Technology, governmental agency within the U.S. Dept. of Commerce with the mission of "working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards" in the national interest. (NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology, Washington, DC, www.nist.gov) The standards-defining agency of the U.S. government, formerly the National Bureau of Standards. It is one of three agencies that fall under the Technology Administration (www.technology. ). The FIPS validation designates the NetFortress VPN as a cryptographic product approved for government-wide purchase by federal agencies. The validation is a requirement for vendors doing business with federal agencies. "Fortress is now among a handful of vendors able to service government contracts with multiple security solutions," said Dr. Aharon Friedman, Fortress Technologies' chief technology officer. "The NetFortress GVPN (Global Virtual Private Network) A service from cooperating carriers that provides international digital communications for multinational companies. hardware earned its level two validation late last year. With our segmented version being awarded similar status, it enhances the choices available for government agencies and private customers alike who will not compromise on their security solutions." Only three VPN products to date have received validation and two of them are NetFortress products. Only FIPS 140-1 validated cryptographic products can be considered as meeting the provisions of the federal cryptographic security standard. FIPS 140-1 validation is part of the NIST Cryptographic Module Validation (CMV) Program, announced on July 17, 1995. This program validates cryptographic modules for conformance to FIPS 140-1, the federal "Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules" guideline. The FIPS 140-1 validation list is available on the NIST Web site at: http://csrc.nist.gov/cryptval/140-1/1401val.htm. Currently, the federal government makes up approximately 50 percent of Fortress' existing customer base, which includes the Department of Defense, all three major military service branches, and various civilian agencies. All NetFortress VPN products are listed on the federal government's General Services Administration The General Services Administration (GSA) was established by section 101 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C.A. § 751). The GSA sets policy for and manages government property and records. (GSA (1) (Global mobile Suppliers Association, Sawbridgeworth, U.K., www.gsacom.com) A membership organization of suppliers of GSM products and services. Its goal is to promote GSM as the worldwide mobile communications standard. See GSM Association and GSM. ) purchasing schedules. The Cryptographic Module Validation Program The Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) is a joint American and Canadian security accreditation program for cryptographic modules. The program is available to any vendors who seek to have their products certified for use by the U.S. calls for the FIPS standard to be used in the "design, acquisition and implementation" of cryptographic-based security systems operated by Federal agencies or federal contractors. Additionally, the FIPS guideline encourages non-Federal government organizations to adopt and use the FIPS standard to provide the "desired security for protecting valuable or sensitive information." Since June 1997, all federal agencies, including defense agencies, that use cryptographic-based security systems to protect sensitive unclassified information within computer and telecommunication systems -- including voice systems -- are mandated to purchase FIPS validated products (unless specifically exempted under either Section 2315 of Title 10, U.S. Code, or Section 3502(2) of Title 44, U.S. Code). Fortress Technologies initiated the FIPS validation process for the NetFortress VPN in September 1997 through the Cryptographic Equipment Assessment Laboratory (CEAL CEAL Centro de Estudios y Apoyo Laboral (Spanish: Center for Labor Studies and Support, El Salvador) CEAL Civil Engineering Automated Library CEAL Compagnie d'Exploitation Agricole Ltée CEAL Critical Essays on American Literature ), the Accredited accredited recognition by an appropriate authority that the performance of a particular institution has satisfied a prestated set of criteria. accredited herds cattle herds which have achieved a low level of reactors to, e.g. Testing Laboratories of CygnaCom Solutions, Inc., in McLean, Va. All NetFortress VPN hardware and software solutions utilize Fortress Technologies' patented Secure Packet Shield(tm) (SPS) Technology that fully automates all VPN functions -- encryption, authentication, key exchange, data integrity checking and data compression -- at the network layer. The unique network-layer automation in SPS makes NetFortress VPN products extremely fast and highly secure, easy to deploy and highly scaleable -- essential features in the growing VPN market. About Fortress Technologies Fortress Technologies delivers fast, simple solutions that enable its customers to secure and extend private networks while reducing cost and increasing communications capability and flexibility. Headquartered in Tampa, FL, Fortress Technologies is a privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. founded in 1995 by Dr. Aharon Friedman, the creator of Secure Packet Shield Technology, and Andrew Savas. For further information, please visit the Fortress Web site at http://www.fortresstech.com. |
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