Unleash the power of the Internet on your AIX Workstation!
The current business world is now working off of "Internet time", and getting business advantage is having quick access to up to date information. Companies want to have their employees connected to critical databases and email 24X7, at the office, at home and on the road. The pervasiveness of the Internet is making it faster and easier to stay connected. Securing network connections is a valid concern.
AIX addresses this issue by providing IP Security within the operating system. No outside hardware or applications are needed to implement Virtual Private Networking. It is free with the AIX operating system, starting with AIX.
Our IP Security functionality is constantly being enhanced as standards are created and refined. With AIX 5L, you will get the latest technology that supports not only security at the IP layer, but also automatic key exchange and refreshment provide by Internet Key Exchange Protocol, with support for preshared keys or X.509 digital certificates.
Here are the many advantages of AIX IP Security:
- Security provided at the IP layer, so applications do not need to be modified to be secure
- Independent of access method to the Internet - you are free to choose the most prevalent or cost affective alternative
- IP Security can be phased into your existing network structure. Since it is independent of your access method, you can gradually grow your network, first by connecting gateways, then providing remote access and finally connected external business partners
- Terminating the IP Security "tunnel" at the server allows to you provide end-to-end security within the intranet and over the Internet
- IP Security can be used to secure workstations within the network as well, to secure data from prying eyes
- IP Security is an industry standard protocol, so you can connect to partners using other vendor's technology
- IBM has participated and hosted several interoperability tests, to ensure interoperability with a large number of IP Security vendors.
- Network Address Translation (NAT) routing is supported.
Using the Internet to connect to branch offices, business partners and mobile employees is becoming less expensive than traditional leased line alternatives. Remote employees that have used dial-up services are enjoying the performance benefits of cable modems and ADSL technologies. Using IP Security to encrypt, authenticate and provide data integrity checking enables corporations to leverage the pervasiveness and affordability of the Internet on a global scale.
Computer attacks are now reaching beond the traditional firewalls and into the corporate networks. Corporations are turnning to IP security to secure their data and passwords within the corporate intranets.