ViaSat Internet Protocol Crypto inline network encryption for the Internet

This paper introduces the ViaSat Internet Protocol Crypto (VIP), a Type 1 cryptographic device that offers secure networking advantages to a broad set of applications and users. Enhanced networking capabilities are needed to support the Services´ push into the information age. A broad scale increase in networking connectivity within tactical and nontactical arenas is needed to achieve superiority in network centric warfare. This requires a move away from dedicated point-to-point links in favor of shared packet networks. Inline network encryption (INE) is a key enabling technology, ensuring communications security while preserving addressing information needed to route packets through the network. Present efforts to develop INE devices are focused primarily on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) due to the higher capacity of these networks. Yet the overwhelming majority of installed network infrastructure is Internet Protocol (IP) based operated over the Ethernet. We describe the benefits of ViaSat´s IP-based, Type 1 inline network encryptor, discuss applications, present the current product based on the off the shelf NSA-endorsed embeddable TNFOSEC product, and discuss the direction of the next generation INE