VIA PadLock CSP Makes Security Easy for Developers

The explosive growth of networked x86 based embedded, desktop and mobile applications such as VoIP, video on demand and personal storage, has spawned an ever-growing threat of theft of valuable information, making the protection of data exchanged and stored of paramount importance. Learn more about the threats facing computing today

The VIA PadLock CSP helps combat this threat by making it easy for developers to utilize the powerful hardware based security tools of the VIA PadLock Security Engine to strengthen protection when using Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Introducing the VIA PadLock CSP

Designed to leverage the power and cryptographic strength of the VIA PadLock Security Engine, the VIA PadLock CSP is a Cryptographic Service Provider that enables Microsoft® Windows® application developers to easily offload some of the computational processes used by Microsoft® CryptoAPI security routines to secure data stored and exchanged.

Strengthening Real-World Applications

The VIA PadLock CSP helps strengthen and accelerate security with minimal changes to software by application developers to deliver real and practical security benefits for both developers and end users.

For example, public and private keys used in authentication, which are considered one of the weakest links in security as their underlying foundation is often based on software produced, statistically predictable random numbers, can be significantly strengthened using the dual Quantum-based random number generators of the VIA PadLock Security Engine to create statistically unpredictable numbers. This makes it more difficult to break public & private keys used to create a secure connection for Internet based communication. When combined with the Montgomery Multiplier, a mathematical tool that accelerates public key encryptions such as RSA, developers can create more, ultra-secure client connections for applications like Internet based storage, VPNs, VoIP and video on demand, with less resources than a software only solution.

Real-time Hardware Security

Leveraging the cryptographic strength and power of VIA PadLock, the VIA PadLock CSP helps accelerate 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 with VIA C7 processor family based server, desktop, embedded and notebook systems.