VPNC Update for August, 2002

Welcome to the latest issue of the VPNC Update. We hope you find the news in this issue valuable.

VPNC News

New VPNC Members

VPNC continues to grow with the always-active IPsec market. Our new member this month is:

OpenReach
OpenReach makes networking hassle-free by enabling enterprises to easily connect and control complex and changing networks. OpenReach VPN services augment and improve existing data networks (frame relay, ATM, leased line) to increase capacity, extend geographical coverage, enhance reliability and security, and reduce operational expense. Founded by former Bell Labs research scientists and with 10 patents pending in its Interlock Capability Suite, OpenReach is a well-funded Boston-based technology company servicing more than 100 customers in 28 countries and 40 states.

SerComm
SerComm was founded eight years ago and has pioneered development of printer servers in Asia, which has led to success in the global market. Five years ago, SerComm launched its Internet access server to allow SOHO employees to share a single Internet account. SerComm was one of the first companies to announce Internet access servers for ADSL/Cable broadband connectivity. SerComm's IP505DV VPN router is a cost-effective and reliable solution for remote users, telecommuters, and branch offices requiring secure access to their company's resources. It allows a company to establish up to 70 tunnels between offices. It also provides multiple security capabilities to strictly limit users access to company resources and to protect data security, including a stateful packet inspection firewall to protect against denial of service attacks.

VPNC Launches Interoperability Testing

VPNC today announces its newest program aimed at helping corporate users of VPNs. The Basic Interop logo in our testing program is the first of its kind in the IPsec industry. VPNC is testing all systems in this part of the program against each other in a way that can be reproduced by corporate customers, leading to provable interoperability.

The VPNC interoperability testing is quite different than other testing programs. Some of the highlights include:

Full and easy-to-read documentation on setting up the systems for interoperability. Each VPNC member has to publish an interoperability documentation profile before they can be in the test. The test is based on the steps in the documentation profile, not the information in the product's manual. This means that an end user could do just what we do and get the same results.
Full interop testing of all products in the matrix. Many test labs do not test each of the systems against everyone else in the test, which leaves people looking at the results wondering whether or not a particular system is really interoperable. As new systems get added to the VPNC test matrix, they will be tested against all the current systems.
Result traces are shown for all passed tests. You can see the debugging traces of the two systems passing each test. This alleviates any question of whether or not VPNC really did the tests, giving users more assurance.
Two-way interoperability is required for all systems except remote-access clients. That is, for all gateways, each pair of tests is run twice, once with one gateway initiating, and second time with the other gateway initiating. Remote-access clients always initiate because gateways typically don't know the address of remote-access users. If either of the two tests fail, the pair is said not to interoperate.

In order to get the VPNC Basic Interoperability logo, a system is tested against every other system, and it must pass with at least three quarters of them. All results (including failures) will be listed. Further, any time a vendor changes a system in a way that might affect testing, VPNC re-tests with everyone in the matrix.. The eight VPNC members' products whose products received the Basic Interoperability logs are:

ADTRAN, NetVanta
Ashley Laurent, BroadWay ISS
Cisco, IOS IPsec
CyberGuard, Premium Appliance Firewall Family
eSoft, InstaGate
Intoto, iGateway family
NetScreen, NetScreen family
SafeNet, SafeNet family

We expect many more VPNC members' products to be added to this list in the near future.

Other Testing News

This month, one VPNC member successfully finished their testing for the three conformance logos (Basic, Rekeying, and Certificates):

Bivio, 1000-AX

Please see the VPNC interoperability and conformance testing page for a complete list of vendors who have received the VPNC testing logos in all categories.

Recent VPNC Member Press Releases

See the VPNC member list for a complete list of VPNC members.

Ashley Laurent
Ashley Laurent Announces BroadWay ISS Availability for Motorola PowerQUICC Communications Processors and S1 Security Processors

Check Point Software
Check Point Announces Worldwide Agreement with HP

Check Point Software
New Certifications Reinforce Check Point Security Leadership

Cisco
Cisco Systems to Acquire AYR Networks

Cryptek
Cryptek's Network Security Solution Awarded Common Criteria EAL4 Rating

Cylink
Cylink NetHawk 5.00 IPsec VPN Solution Provides Increased Flexibility and Scalability

Cylink
Avnet Enterprise Solutions Partners with Cylink

Enterasys
Enterasys Networks and Sarcom Combine Technology and Expertise for Strategic Partnership

NetScreen
New NetScreen Solutions Meet Critical Enterprise VPN Requirements

NetScreen
NetScreen And Sygate Team Up To Deliver Advanced Security Client Solution For Enterprise Mobile Workers

Nokia
Nokia protects French Health System's Intranet

Nokia
Nokia Announces the Availability of IP Clustering Technology for its IP Security Platforms

Nortel
Nortel Networks Shasta 5000 BSN to Extend China Telecom, China Netcom IP Services

OpenReach
OpenReach Provides First-Aid for VPN Burn Victims

OpenReach
OpenReach Introduces Industry's First True IPsec Extranet

SafeNet
SafeNet Announces Strategic Alliance with Phoenix Technologies to Deliver High Assurance Security Software and Managed Services

SafeNet
PalmSource Selects SafeNet as a VPN Security Partner

SSH Communications Security
Borderware Selects the Award-Winning SSH Sentinel VPN Client Software and IPSec Toolkit to Enhance Firewall Software

SSH Communications Security
Hitachi Information Technology Chooses SSH IPSec Express and SSH NAT Traversal Toolkits to Develop Advanced "With-It 200" Series Routers

Stonesoft
Stonesoft Teams with RSA Security to Help Secure Highly Available VPNs

Stonesoft
Stonesoft's StoneGate Demonstrates Significant Savings

WatchGuard
WatchGuard Announces Immediate Availability of MSS 6.0

WatchGuard
WatchGuard Announces General Availability of Firebox Vclass

Featured VPNC Member White Papers

One of the more popular features on VPNC's web site is our extensive list of white papers from our members. These cover a range of topics from VPN basics to cryptography. As interesting new white papers appear, we will list them in the VPNC Update.

Using Application Layer Technology to Overcome the Impact of Satellite Circuit Latency on VPN Performance from V-ONE is an in-depth description of how to use IPsec over satellites. The high latency (about 250 milliseconds at a minimum) caused by beaming data up to, and then down from, a satellite causes interesting problems for all Internet protocols, including IPsec.

Upcoming Events

Deploying and Realising True Revenue Potential of IP and MPLS VPN
London / September 4-6, 2002
This conference is aimed at service providers who are deploying (or are intending to deploy) trusted VPNs as services for customers. It focuses on end-user requirements and strategies for marketing trusted VPNs to customers.

Networld+Interop Fall
Atlanta, GA / September 8-13, 2002
Probably the largest networking show in the world, this conference has a huge show floor for vendors and a large, fast-paced educational track that covers many VPN-related topics.

MPLS Congress
London / September 16-19, 2002
The focus on of this conference is on MPLS VPNs, reflecting the high number of MPLS VPN deployments seen this year. It covers the differences between layer 2 and layer 3 MPLS VPNs, and compares MPLS VPNs with other VPN Technologies such as ATM, Frame Relay, IP, and IPsec.

MPLScon Fall
Denver, CO / October 7-10, 2002
MPLScon is the best-known of the MPLS-specific trade shows. It has a strong educational component and is aimed at a technical audience.

MPLS2002
Washington DC / October 27-29, 2002
A long-running show with an emphasis on exhibitors. It is followed by a public interoperability demonstration on October 30.

About This Mailing List

The VPNC Update is a low-volume, one-way mailing list to inform people about news in the VPN industry. Subscription is open to all, members and non-members. If you have questions about the content of VPNC Update, or suggestions or information for future issues, please send them to Paul Hoffman, VPNC's director.

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