VIA Makes Security Easy for Microsoft Windows based Application Programmers

Written by Tim Smalley

August 31, 2006 | 11:19

Companies: #via

Taipei, Taiwan, 31 August 2006 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today released the VIA PadLock™ Cryptographic Service Provider (CSP), a software module that enables the Microsoft® Cryptographic Application Programming Interface (CryptoAPI) – used by programmers to enhance security in applications – to offload much of the security heavy-lifting to the VIA PadLock Security Engine integrated directly into VIA C7™ family processors.

With the explosive growth of networked x86-based applications such as VoIP, video on demand and personal storage, and the escalating threat of theft of valuable information, the protection of data exchanged and stored has become of paramount importance in industrial, commercial and personal computing. Today’s advanced security needs to employ multiple encryption techniques and increasingly complex algorithms to provide the ever higher levels of protection required.

The VIA PadLock CSP helps build that protection by enabling developers using the Microsoft CryptoAPI in their applications to benefit from the military-grade security tools of the VIA PadLock Security Engine with little program modification. By leveraging the cryptographic strength and power of these tools, the VIA PadLock accelerates AES ciphers by over fifty times, SHA secure hashes by seven times, and public key generation by up to two times, enabling real-time protection of information with extremely low processor utilization.

Key generation, used for authentication, is also strengthened with the VIA PadLock CSP by utilizing the dual Quantum-based random number generators integrated into the VIA PadLock Security Engine. Fully compatible with Microsoft Windows® XP, CE, and the forthcoming Windows Vista™, the VIA PadLock CSP can be used in any current VIA processor based server, desktop, embedded or notebook system.

“The VIA PadLock CSP is a practical tool that takes full advantage of the cryptographic strength of our VIA C7 processor family to better protect users from today’s security threats,” said Chris Bennetts, Processor Platform Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “Security is a key issue that must be addressed in order to successfully move x86 further towards convergence, and VIA has taken a proactive approach with the PadLock CSP that programmers can implement quickly and easily.”

VIA PadLock CSP Availability
The VIA PadLock CSP is available for download from the VIA Arena website at:

http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=22&DSCat=161&DCatType=1

For more information about the VIA PadLock CSP, please visit the VIA website at: http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/padlock/via-csp.jsp

Further information about the VIA PadLock Security Initiative aimed at improving security across the x86 platform may be found at: http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/padlock/

About the VIA PadLock CSP
Designed to leverage the cryptographic power and strength of the VIA C7 processor family, the VIA PadLock CSP is a software module that can be used by the Microsoft Cryptographic Application Programming Interface (CryptoAPI) to offload some of the complex security algorithms of Microsoft® Windows® based applications. The VIA PadLock CSP can be enabled within an application by solution developers and is fully compatible with Microsoft® Windows® XP, CE and the forthcoming Windows Vista™.

Integrated into the VIA C7 processor family is the VIA PadLock Security Engine, a comprehensive set of military-grade hardware security tools that the VIA PadLock CSP can utilize to strengthen and accelerate the level of protection offered to users. VIA PadLock includes the world’s fastest x86 AES cipher engine, a secure hash engine, a Montgomery Multiplier to accelerate public key encryption, and dual Quantum based random number generators to give an unshakable foundation for security. The VIA PadLock Security Engine ensures speeds and efficiency many times what is possible with software only, and unlike software-only approaches to security, has negligible impact on processor performance

The VIA PadLock CSP utilizes the VIA PadLock Security Engine to accelerate AES ciphers by over fifty times, secure hashes by seven times, and public key encryption by double. Public key generation is also strengthened by the dual quantum number random generators.

About VIA Technologies, Inc.
VIA Technologies, Inc. (TSE 2388) is the foremost fabless supplier of market-leading core logic chipsets, low power x86 processors, advanced connectivity, multimedia, networking and storage silicon, and complete platform solutions that are driving system innovation in the PC and embedded markets. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, VIA’s global network links the high tech centers of the US, Europe and Asia, and its customer base includes the world’s top OEMs, motherboard vendors and system integrators. www.via.com.tw
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