Aug 4 2015
Whitewood Encryption Systems Inc.®, a developer of next-generation entropy management systems, is pleased to introduce the Entropy Engine™, a new product that is the world’s most cost-effective, quantum-powered random number generator.
The Entropy Engine addresses the fundamental issue of all cryptosystems – predictability. An overriding threat of any application that employs cryptography is the use of random data that isn’t truly random, increasing the risk that keys can be compromised and data breached.
The Entropy Engine exploits quantum mechanics to supply pure entropy in the form of random data at high speeds (200 Mbps), solving the problem of entropy generation that handicaps even the highest-performance cryptography systems currently in use today. At its core is a patent-pending quantum entropy source that generates random data based on the immutable laws of physics and is therefore immune from external influence by attackers.
Designed for any application that incorporates cryptography or relies on high-quality random data, the Whitewood Entropy Engine removes the risk of existing entropy sources failing to satisfy demand or becoming deterministic. Whether using low-level functions such as encryption, digital signatures, and certificates, or higher-level security protocols such as SSL/TLS or SSH, or raw random data for gaming and simulators, the Entropy Engine provides a critical security foundation and basis of trust.
The product, which is delivered as a PCIe plug-in card, is being unveiled at the Black Hat USA 2015 show in Las Vegas (Aug. 1-6) for trials and evaluation, and will be available for sale at the end of the third quarter.
“Whitewood’s Entropy Engine closes one of the most insidious and misunderstood vulnerabilities that exists in the world’s most widely used security systems,” said Richard Moulds, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at Whitewood. “Whether in critical business applications, corporate networks or out on the Web, maximum security requires that we improve the quality and quantity of entropy used to generate random data. In mobile devices, browsers and sterile datacenters, access to entropy is inconsistent, notoriously hard to measure and often taken for granted. It’s time to take control of entropy and deliver the security on which we all depend. Whitewood’s quantum-powered Entropy Engine is designed to meet that need.”
The technological innovation that forms the basis of Whitewood’s Entropy Engine was developed from more than two decades of research into quantum cryptography at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and was commercialized through a collaboration between the federal lab and Whitewood’s corporate parent, Allied Minds (LSE: ALM), in the largest single transaction of an intellectual property portfolio ever executed by Los Alamos.
“The successful transformation of the Los Alamos technology into a commercial product illustrates how our unique public-private partnership with U.S. federal research centers allows us to create best-in-class products that solve some of our nation’s biggest economic challenges,” said John Serafini, Vice President at Allied Minds, the parent company of Whitewood.
Allied Minds Federal Innovations (AMFI), the division of Allied Minds led by Serafini that is dedicated to commercializing federal intellectual property, was awarded an exclusive, worldwide license to the Los Alamos quantum cryptography innovations and collaborates with the lab under a CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement). Under this agreement Los Alamos joins a network of federal R&D entities, including The MITRE Corporation and The Aerospace Corporation, which are working with the Boston-based company to solve real-world problems and to materially benefit the U.S. economy.
“We are pleased to be able to work with Allied Minds to bring proven innovations to market,” said Duncan McBranch, Chief Technology Officer of Los Alamos National Laboratory. “Secure communications on the Internet represents a serious national security challenge that impacts government, businesses and consumers alike. Los Alamos has a strong history of advances in high-performance computing and cybersecurity, and with this agreement we can assist in protecting valuable information beyond the government sector."
More information on Whitewood can be found at www.whitewoodencryption.com.