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Network security specialist x.o.ware Inc. introduced the ExoNetwork, a secure exoskeleton for small and midsize business (SMB) networks that protects a local network from unauthorized access and extends security to anywhere users access the Internet, even over unsecure public networks.
The company also introduced the ExoKey, a USB appliance that provides encrypted remote access to everything connected to the ExoNetwork, even if a user is accessing it from an insecure location, such as a coffee shop hotspot.
The ExoNetwork is a small device that creates a personal cloud that provides the owner with control and secure access from any unencrypted wireless network, using the Virtual Private ExoNetwork server (VPEx) that is integrated into the ExoNetwork. Unlike other solutions in which users connect network storage devices and must learn a procedure for configuring their routers and VPNs, storage attached to the ExoNetwork is automatically and securely accessible from the ExoNetwork.
Features include a VPEx server that implements two-factor security with a unique 256-bit key for each user for hardware-based encryption processors employing 256-bit AES encryption, integrated network storage with seamless security and high-performance dual-WAN interfaces. The ExoKey features an encryption processor that can store encryption keys and perform encryption in hardware and the ability to perform all the encryption in real time. This helps ensure keys are never exposed to malware and performance is not impacted by the encryption/decryption that is normally done in software on the host computer.
The ExoKey also features registration with one or more VPEx servers so that it can be used in any computer without having to register each computer with the server. The ExoKey also provides portability to secure remote access, and it leaves no trace of encrypted sessions on the remote computers. The technology includes a socket for a microSD card, which can store encrypted user data, using keys that are never accessible to anything other than its on-board processor. The ExoKey can also be used by network administrators, not only to encrypt traffic to and from their network, but also to control access to the network. The VPEx server in the ExoNetwork can be configured to only grant access to devices using an ExoKey, ensuring that only registered users can traverse the network.
“We are entering a new era where wireless networks are more frequently unencrypted to fulfill their role in the mobile network; therefore, the security must be implemented at the source of the data (i.e., the end points),” said Ken Goldsholl, CEO of x.o.ware. “At x.o.ware, we are addressing one of the biggest obstacles to ubiquitous securitythe user interfacewhich is typically so complicated that people don’t enable security and are unable to fully utilize all of the capabilities of most network access devices. Our easy-to-use technology is solving this need by simultaneously providing advanced functionality, the highest performance in its price class and unmatched security.”