Honeywell International, Inc.
Lantronix’s SecureBox™ Solves Encryption Puzzle for Honeywell
For obvious reasons, tight data security is an absolute requirement in all communications involving government contracts. Increasing global threats to network security led the U.S. government to change its security standards for encryption, and those handling classified data were given a very short deadline for compliance.
Advanced Security
THE SITUATION: LOCKDOWN DATA SECURITY NEEDED FOR THE GOVERNMENT
Honeywell provides advanced security systems for government applications. To help its customers meet critical deadlines and fulfill their government contracts, Honeywell needed a fast, efficient and costeffective way to address, high-security Advanced Encryption Standards (AES) for government installation. By incorporating Lantronix’s SecureBox SDS1100 (the industry’s first NIST-certified device server) directly into their security system architecture, they greatly enhanced the level of secure data communications between networked devices at secure facilities.
In October 2000, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publicly announced its official certification of the Advanced Encryption Standards (AES), based on the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)-197. The AES encryption levels were approved to protect unclassified sensitive information for U.S. Government organizations and contractors.
It is imperative for companies like Honeywell that offer security products used in government facilities to offer the highest levels of encryption standards available.
THE SOLUTION: SECUREBOX’S DATA SECURITY AND INSTANT IMPLEMENTATION
Honeywell turned to Lantronix and its recently-developed SecureBox SDS products, the first device servers certified by NIST to meet FIPS 197 standards for ensuring secure data communication at AES levels. With SecureBox’s ease of implementation, Honeywell was able to obtain the required level of secure connectivity within days.
According to Greg Turner, Director of Global Offer Management, “For over three decades, Honeywell has been a leading provider of advanced security systems for government applications, so it was critical that we find a cost-effective way to address the new AES-certification requirement for our customers. Based on our past experience with Lantronix, we had confidence the SecureBox device servers were the solution which could enable us to quickly meet that challenge.”
The SecureBox SDS1100 was incorporated directly into the Honeywell Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI) architecture. The SecureBox solution enabled Honeywell’s remote security and access control devices to provide network communications with advanced encryption, without requiring replacement of existing controllers.
SecureBox SDS1100 and SDS2100 device servers provide a complete end-to-end solution for network-enabling physical assets such as building security control panels, and for ensuring that the information within these devices can be securely accessed and transmitted over a network or the Internet. The SDS1100 and SDS2100 are single and dual-port external device servers that incorporate Lantronix’s proven hardware, firmware, and software utilities
The SecureBox™ Advantage
FIRST AES-CERTIFIED DEVICE SERVER
The SecureBox is the first secure device server to offer a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-certified implementation of AES as specified by Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 197.
COMPLETE END-TO-END SOLUTION
SecureBox SDS1100 and SDS2100 offer single and dual-port serial interfaces, 10/100 fast Ethernet connectivity, broad 9-30 VDC power input range and lockdown security capabilities.
COST-EFFECTIVE
SecureBox can be incorporated directly into network security systems. This capability decreases time to market, and saves countless hours of development time and associated costs.
THE RESULT: HONEYWELL’S TIME TO MARKET IS REDUCED
SecureBox clearly addresses an important need for companies that provide networked security systems for government and other high security applications. In the case of Honeywell, SecureBox enabled the company to rapidly bring its Honeywell Security Manager (a component of EBI) to market. Using the SecureBox SDS1100, Honeywell was able to decrease time-to-market – an enviable accomplishment in today’s volatile business environment.
Additionally, they were able to honor a deliverable timeline and product specification for a very important customer, the United States Government. “By incorporating the SecureBox SDS1100 directly into our new products, we were able to accelerate the launch of our AEScertified Honeywell Enterprise Buildings Integrator to meet critical government compliance deadlines for our clients,” affirmed Turner.