IBM Data Management Strategy Focuses on Security

Much of the talk at this years Information On Demand conference in Las Vegas has centered on IBMs belief in optimizing data in real time to add business value.

But underlying IBMs strategy is a focus on security, illustrated by the acquisition of Princeton Softech and now the deepening of a partnership with encryption specialist Vormetric.

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Santa Clara, Calif.-based Vormetric has joined with IBM to deliver database encryption across Windows, Linux and Unix platforms through IBM Database Encryption Expert, a stand-alone product that works with DB2 versions 9 and above and protects data in both online and offline storage DB2 accesses. The product will also work with Informix in a future release slated for the first half of 2008, Vormetric officials said.

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The partnership between the two companies began more than 18 months ago when IBM, of Armonk, N.Y., selected Vormetric technology to be the core encryption component for DB2 on Linux, Unix and Windows.

"IBM was seeking a noninvasive method of securing DB2 table spaces that eliminated the need for application code changes and that was noninvasive to the database," said Richard Gorman, CEO of Vormetric. "Through [our] approach, we encrypt the entire table space and provide granular access control and auditing for decryption, data access and attempts."

Database Encryption Expert offers additional access control and encryption to DB2s underlying online files. With Database Encryption Expert, a security administrator can encrypt DB2 data that is on disk and prevent root and system administrators from attacking the data outside of the DB2 database. It also protects the data if the underlying media is stolen, IBM officials said.

Arvind Krishna, vice president of data servers for IBM, said customers are increasingly looking to enhance their ability to repel threats to data privacy, and the partnership helps customers meet that challenge.

"[It] adds another layer of protection, so should someone get access to the data, it will be useless as they cant read it," Krishna said.

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