Sharp Electronics Corp. has successfully completed Common Criteria evaluation and validation of its ARFR4/5/6 Data Security Kits that apply to the award-winning AR-M280/350/450 line of multifunction peripherals, and the AR-P350/450 network printers. The Common Criteria program represents the global standard for information technology security evaluations and is administered by the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP), a joint program of the National Security Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

What Sharp has managed to do is the following:

• Sharp is the first and only office products company to offer Common Criteria certified solutions for two complete lines of widely used office products. The company announced its first Common Criteria validated product in April 2001. To date, Sharp is still the only office products company shipping copier/printer/scanner product in the U.S. that has been validated under the NIAP Common Criteria program.
• This is the first printer solution to be Common Criteria-validated.
• This is the first multifunctional fax solution to be Common Criteria-validated.

Edward McLaughlin, Vice President, Network Office Systems Group, Sharp Electronics said: "Data security is a pressing concern for customers across all sectors, both government and in the private sector."

The newest version of Sharp's Data Security Kit specifically addresses security concerns relative to networked office products. Using federal

government endorsed AES 128 bit encryption, Sharp's Data Security Kit encrypts all data before it is stored in the product's RAM or hard drive. The Data Security Kit then "sanitizes" the RAM and clears the hard disk by overwriting the stored encrypted data up to seven times, offering an unprecedented level of assurance. Automatic encryption of all stored data provides assurance that confidential data is unrecoverable even in the event of power failures that would prevent the overwrite software from executing.


Sharp also released a greatly enhanced network interface card for the same MFP series, offering such security features as IP filtering, MAC-address filtering and port and protocol controls.

Peter Cybuck, Senior Manager, Solution Business Development, Sharp Electronics said: "Improved network security, which complements the validated memory security solution, will provide the level of assurance customers need to safely connect Sharp MFPs in today's increasingly threatened networks."