A hardware independent encryption model for ATM devices

Faced with the migration towards broadband networking technologies, formerly visionary applications, as diverse as teleworking, telemedicine or electronic commerce, are expected to emerge to broad usage. This makes confidential communication in broadband networks a challenging basic condition. In this paper, we present an ATM encryption model that is focused on independence of both the hardware of the end-user device and the application utilizing ATM as a transport medium. Therefore, the ATM cell stream is intercepted by a high-speed data encryption standard (DES), TripleDES encryption hardware, using well-defined standardized interfaces. Considering the various access rates that ATM is defined for, the encryption unit that is being developed is designed to be independent of the physical media and capable of supporting transmission rates of up to 155 Mbps. Thus, the solution is applicable to broadband integrated services digital network (B-ISDN) end-user devices, ranging from narrowband to multi-Mbps access rates