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IBM Mainframes Hold the Industry's Top Hardware and Cryptographic Security Ratings
IBM announced that its premier midrange mainframe, the IBM eServer z890 now joins three other IBM mainframes as the world's only servers with the highest level of hardware security certification, Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 5 (EAL5).
The IBM z890 has received EAL5 certification, indicating that its logical partitioning has been methodically tested and checked by an independent evaluator to handle attacks and aid in the prevention of covert channels, specifically for high-risk environments. (1)
The EAL5 ranking should give companies confidence that they can run many z/OS, z/VM, and Linux-based applications containing confidential data -- such as payroll, human resources, e-commerce, ERP and CRM systems -- on one z890 system divided into partitions that keep each application's data secure and distinct from the others. That is, the z890 system architecture is designed to prevent the flow of information among logical partitions on a single system.
"The thousands of financial services and healthcare customers who currently trust their critical business transactions to the IBM mainframe will benefit most from the privacy certification afforded to z890, as well as government agencies who deal with national security issues," said Jim Porell, IBM eServer zSeries Distinguished Engineer. "IT departments can feel confident in eliminating the redundancies and costs associated with separate and distinct server instances by re-hosting or consolidating that work as logical partitions within the zSeries processor."
The IBM z890, along with the z800, z900 and z990, continue zSeries' leadership as the only servers in the world to achieve the prestigious EAL5 assurance level for partitioning.
Highest Level of Commercial Cryptographic Security
IBM announces also that its IBM PCIX Cryptographic Coprocessor Security Module earned the highest certification for commercial security awarded by the U.S. and Canadian governments -- Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 Level 4. (2) This certification means that the PCIX Cryptographic Coprocessor Security Module satisfies the requirements for a cryptographic module utilized within a security system protecting Sensitive Information (United States) or Protected Information (Canada) within computer and telecommunications systems.
To achieve FIPS 140-2 Level 4 certification, an independent laboratory is permitted to attempt virtually any physical attack on the product and must verify the security of the internal software using a mechanical verification of a mathematical model. The PCIX Cryptographic Coprocessor Security Module is used in the PCIXCC feature on both the IBM eServer z990 and z890.
About The Federal Information Processing Standard
The Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 (FIPS 140-2) is a standard that describes U.S. Federal government requirements that IT products should meet for Sensitive, but Unclassified (SBU) use. The standard was published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and has been adopted by the Canadian government's Communication Security Establishment (CSE). To find out more about FIPS certification, please visit, http://csrc.nist.gov/cryptval/140-1/1401val2005.htm#524.
About The Common Criteria
The Common Criteria (CC) is an internationally recognized ISO standard used by the United States federal government and other organizations to assess security and assurance of technology products. The CC provides a standardized way of expressing security requirements, defines the respective set of rigorous criteria by which the product will be evaluated, and is widely recognized among IT professionals, government agencies, and customers as a seal of approval for mission-critical software. To find out more about the Common Criteria security certification standards, visit http://www.commoncriteriaportal.org.
(1) The EAL5 evaluation was completed by atsec information security GmbH, one of the world's leading vendor-independent IT security consulting companies, and accredited in Germany by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). To view the certification visit BSI at http://www.bsi.de. For a consolidated view of certified products visit http://www.bsi.de/zertifiz/zert/aktuelle.htm.
(2) On April 27, 2005, the IBM eServer Cryptographic Coprocessor Security Module, referred to as the "IBM PCIX Cryptographic Coprocessor" feature, earned the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 level 4 validation, the highest level of certification currently achievable. To view the certification, visit: http://csrc.nist.gov/cryptval/140-1/1401val2005.htm#524. 10.06.2005, IBM
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