Cavium's Latest Security Processors Offer SHA-2, AES-GCM and KASUMI algorithms

Cavium Networks introduced its NITROX PX Security Processor family with 8 new products targeted at IP Security (IPsec), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Wireless security applications.



The NITROX PX family provides hardware acceleration for SHA-2, AES-GCM and KASUMI algorithms, and a PCI- Express interface in a single chip. The processors feature the GigaCipher v2 cores with increased code store and enhanced hardware queuing, which enables richer protocol processing and multi-protocol performance. All products are fully software compatible with Cavium Networks NITROX family of security processors and are offered with either a PCI-X 64/133 interface that is NITROX family pin-compatible or PCI- Express x4 interface.



The NITROX PX Family delivers scalable symmetric encryption performance, ranging from 500 Mbps to 2.5 Gbps, and asymmetric performance from 4000 to 17,000 RSA operations per second.



Cavium said existing secure networking equipment is being upgraded to incorporate new security algorithms that will be deployed in the market by 2008. These new algorithms include SHA-2 and AES-GCM. SHA-2, which consists of the SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 algorithms, offers increased and robust security protection over the currently deployed SHA-1 algorithm for hashing and digital signature applications. Rapid adoption of SHA-2 is being encouraged by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). AES-GCM is expected to replace the existing 3DES and AES-CTR encryption algorithms used for IPsec VPN applications as it provides an efficient implementation for confidentiality and data origin authenticity. http://www.cavium.com