nCipher announced a strategy that aligns its hardware-based encryption products as a basis for securing XML-based applications and Web Services. nCipher also announced new partnerships with leading-edge XML security vendors, including Forum Systems, Reactivity and Westbridge Technology. Through these partnerships, and with nCipher’s existing hardware security products, customers are provided with a number of choices to develop truly secure Web Services and gain the benefits of seamlessly integrating business processes and applications, within and between organizations.

The challenge of deploying security to XML applications and Web Services represents a barrier to widespread adoption of these services. Providing capabilities such as privacy, authentication, authorization, integrity and non–repudiation through the use of cryptography and digital signatures has already been established as best practice security in the SSL and PKI markets. These proven security techniques have been incorporated into the XML security standards developed by the W3C. As with any use of cryptography, the management and protection of the cryptographic keys and overall performance issues are critical to the successful delivery of Web Services. nCipher is the market leader in applying hardware-based cryptography to manage and protect cryptographic security and its products are therefore ideally suited to meet the security needs of XML and Web Services today.

Richard Moulds, vice president of marketing, nCipher said: "With Web Service platforms from companies such as BEA Systems, IBM, Microsoft and Oracle already making it easy to develop Web Services, the problem now becomes how to secure these services. Companies are developing Web Services today, and now is the time for security vendors to take a focused approach to secure these services and XML technologies".


nCipher XML-ready Products

XML and Web Services security relies on encryption and digital signatures. Through its existing FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) validated hardware-based encryption and cryptographic key management products, nShield and nForce, nCipher is able to offer hardware security, scalability and cryptographic key management making the use of advanced cryptography and digital signatures a compelling proposition, enabling customers to put their trust in Web Services. As the use of cryptography and XML security evolves and traffic levels increase, nCipher’s products provide a unique combination of security and performance. By accelerating processor-heavy encryption tasks to avoid performance bottlenecks, and through the use of flexible security models enabled by such as nCipher’s Secure Execution Engine (SEE), nCipher’s partners are well placed to introduce new and innovative capabilities and gain market differentiation.