IBM Brings Encryption to Processors

(Top Tech News) April 10, 2006 -- "There is a movement today to develop more security building blocks, and this could help by creating a second layer of security beyond the application level," Forrester Research analyst Paul Stamp said. "Embedding security in the chip architecture provides protection from the ground up."

Encryption is widely viewed as the best way to safeguard information against unauthorized access. On a stolen laptop, for example, if the data is encrypted, it is secure against prying eyes.

Until today, however, most encryption technology has been software-based and has required computer users to turn the technology on manually.

Seeking to eliminate this weak link in the data-security chain, IBM has developed a method for integrating encryption technology into the chips that run a broad array of products, from mobile phones to defense systems.

IBM claims the new encryption architecture, codenamed SecureBlue, can extend data-center-grade security to almost any chip.

Closing the Security Gap

"There has been substantial investment in securing the network and data center, but a gap exists in moving security to the end points of a system," said Terry Daly, director of strategy for IBM Technology Collaboration Solutions. "We have created a bridge between the processor and the memory banks using an architecture approach to deploy encryption on chip designs."

Encryption techniques have long been employed on high-end systems, but these approaches not only are costly but also can adversely affect the performance of computing systems.

"Even with encryption, software is vulnerable to unauthorized access, and having applications that are always encrypted is less than desirable in most cases because it requires a lot of processing power," said Daly.

In contrast, SecureBlue is built into the microprocessor and protects the entire device. Because it is based on secure hardware rather than individual software applications, it can safeguard all the information on a device, including documents and software as well as the security keys used in digital signatures.

Another Building Block

According to Daly, SecureBlue's design can provide encryption to protect sensitive information on electronic passports, health records, and even copyrighted digital content. IBM plans to license the technology and help chip vendors put the architecture into their products.

"There is a movement today to develop more security building blocks, and this could help by creating a second layer of security beyond the application level," said Forrester Research analyst Paul Stamp. "Embedding security in the chip architecture provides protection from the ground up."

Stamp noted that the Trusted Computing Group, of which IBM is a member, currently offers the Trusted Platform Module that can store encrypted information on a PC chip.

"The key will be developing applications that take advantage of IBM's latest offering," he said. "What's interesting is that SecureBlue can work in any device."