Aerospace Journal

Industry-Leading HSMs Enhance Security and Simplify Encryption Key Management on Windows Server 2008 R2 and Hyper-V Virtual Server Platforms

Weston, FL and Cambridge UK - 26 January 2010: Thales, leader in information systems and communications security and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, announces that its comprehensive portfolio of hardware security modules (HSMs) is the industry's first to be certified for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2. Thales HSMs—including nShield Connect from the nCipher(1) product line—offer unmatched performance, scalability and reliability to enhance security, simplify encryption key management and help meet regulatory compliance requirements. By adding support for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, including the Hyper-V virtual server platform, Thales HSMs enable customers to upgrade their Microsoft IT environments while ensuring the continuous security of their public key infrastructures, databases, Web-based online services and other critical applications.

"To achieve Certified for Windows Server 2008 R2 a technology must meet the highest Microsoft testing quality bar requirements and demonstrate that it is fully compatible with the Windows Server platform by passing close to 100 prescriptive tests. This gives our joint customers the ability and confidence to migrate to this new platform seamlessly and to gain the immediate benefit of Thales's HSMs' hardware grade protection for the new security features of Windows Server 2008 R2," says Eric Jewett, Director, Windows Server at Microsoft. "Enterprises that deploy Thales HSMs on Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms will be integrating a leading-edge security solution that is also deployed within Microsoft Corporation to help protect our critical infrastructure."

HSMs are the industry best practice for protecting cryptographic keys and for performing encryption and digital signing. HSMs provide a cost-effective way to increase the security of software-based systems, enforcing access control and key management policies within a tamper-resistant security environment. All Thales HSMs are easily deployed to support a wide range of shared security infrastructure applications such as Microsoft Active Directory Certificate Services and Rights Management Services, as well as Microsoft SQL Server.

"Thales is proud to offer the industry's first HSMs to be certified for Microsoft Windows

Server 2008 R2, which illustrates our continued commitment to meeting the needs of our customers, who deploy HSMs on Windows platforms," says Franck Greverie, Vice President, Managing Director for Thales's information systems security activities. "This certification and support for Windows Server 2008 R2 ensures that Thales customers can upgrade to Microsoft's latest platform immediately and all of their critical applications will remain protected by the industry's leading HSMs."

(1) Thales acquired nCipher in October 2008

Notes to editor
Thales nShield Connect is a network-attached appliance that acts as a highly scalable, centralized resource for managing keys and protecting sensitive data for as many as 100 servers, virtual machines or other application instances—ensuring that policies are consistently applied and operational costs are significantly reduced. nShield Connect is validated to FIPS 140-2 level 3, the most widely adopted security benchmark for cryptographic solutions in government and commercial enterprises.

More information on Thales HSMs is available at http://iss.thalesgroup.com/Products/Hardware%20Security%20Modules.aspx

About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace and Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets. In 2008, the company generated revenues of 12.7 billion euros with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners. www.thalesgroup.com

Thales is one of the world leaders in the provision of Information and Communication Systems Security solutions for government, defence, critical infrastructure operators, enterprises and the finance industry. Thales's unique position in the market is due to its end-to-end security offering spanning the entire value chain in the security domain. The comprehensive offering includes architecture design, security and encryption product development, evaluation and certification preparation and through-life management services.

Thales has forty years of unrivalled track record in protecting information from Sensitive But Unclassified up to Top Secret and a comprehensive portfolio of security products and services, which includes network security products, application security products and secured telephony products. www.thalesgroup.com/iss

Press Contact:
Liz Harris
Thales
+44 (0)1223 723612
liz.harris@thales-esecurity.com

Zoe Gray
Hotwire PR
+44 (0)207 608 4641
zoe.gray@hotwirepr.com