A flexible solution to your high-security cryptographic and secure processing needs

• Tamper-responding hardware design certified under FIPS PUB 140-1. Suitable for high-security processing and cryptographic operations.

• Hardware to perform DES, random number generation, and modular math functions for RSA and similar public-key cryptographic algorithms.
• Secure code loading that enables updating of the functionality while installed in application systems.
• IBM Common Cryptographic Architecture (CCA) and PKCS #11 as well as custom software options.
• The IBM 4758 provides a secure platform on which developers can build secure applications.
• OEM and end-user purchase options.

The rigorous FIPS PUB 140-1 Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules is the benchmark standard by which cryptographic implementations are measured. The IBM 4758 Model 002 is certified at level 4, the highest certification. The Models 023, which uses a different method of detecting physical penetration attacks, is certified at level 3. The evaluations cover the encapsulated processing subsystem and its specialized cryptographic hardware, code loading, tamper detection and response mechanisms, and the cryptographic algorithms: DES, triple-DES, RSA, DSS, and SHA-1.

Coprocessor Models and Features
The IBM 4758 Models 002 and 023 replace the earlier Models 001 and 013.

IBM 4758 Models 002 and 023 operate on a 5-volt PCI bus and have two batteries to power the tamper-sensing electronics when no system power is supplied. The Coprocessors IBM supplies as features in the IBMi/p/zSeries servers have four batteries and operate on either 3.3- or 5-volt PCI buses. You can order either the 5-volt or the 3.3-volt variations of the Model 002 for use with Intel-platform systems.

Cryptographic Software Support Options
IBM supplies support program code for two cryptographic implementations, PKCS #11 and IBM CCA.

• PKCS #11 Support Program Cryptographic Token Interface Standard, Cryptoki, version 2.01, provides support for one or more Coprocessors accessed from AIX, and Windows NT and Windows 2000 PC platforms to employ MD2, MD5, SHA-1, RSA, DSS, DES, and triple-DES capabilities according to industry-standard API-library functions.
  Programs such as the Netscape^** security server can exploit the security afforded RSA private keys and off-loading of host system processing available through the use of one or more Coprocessors.
  
  
• IBM Common Cryptographic Architecture (CCA) provides extensive support of DES and RSA based processes including many functions of special interest in the finance industry. You can extend the CCA implementation through custom programming described below.
  Standard capabilities include PIN processing, Secure Electronic Transaction^™ services, data encryption and hashing techniques, and RSA-based public-key cryptography.
  
  Release 2 supports the Model 002 and 023 on personal computers with Windows NT and Windows 2000, and on IBMpSeries servers with AIX. OS/400, z/OS and OS/390 provide support comparable to Release 2 on the IBM iSeries, zSeries and S/390 servers.

The United States Bureau of Export Administration classifies both Support Programs and the Coprocessors as 'Retail Cryptographic Implementations'. Thus, IBM can export these hardware and software products to essentially all customers. (Export restrictions remain in effect for a certain few countries and organizations.)

Custom Programming
Minting of electronic money and electronic postage are examples of critical functions that must run in a highly trustworthy environment. Using toolkits available from IBM under custom contract, you can implement your own applications for the Coprocessor, or extend IBM's CCA application. You can make a fast start on your custom application development when you extend CCA using its flexible access control system and many existing services.

IBM will issue you a unique identifier and certify your code-signing key so that you can sign your own custom Coprocessor software. You develop your software using conventional IBM or Microsoft C-language compilers and use the toolkit-provided debugging programs. You or your customers can then load Coprocessor software in a normal server environment. Using the PKI-based outbound authentication capabilities of the Coprocessor's control program, you can securely administer the Coprocessor environment, even from remote locations. Auditors can inspect the Coprocessor's digitally signed status response to confirm that the Coprocessor remains untampered and running uniquely identified software.

Performance
Models 002 and 023 support up to 175 1024-bit RSA private key operations per second. The Coprocessor design also supports high-throughput bulk DES processing. With Models 002 and 023, bulk triple-DES and SHA-1 processors are also connected to host system and Coprocessor subsystem memory through FIFO buffers and DMA channels. DES encryption throughput of 15.3 MBytes/second has been measured on fast host systems.

Performance is a complex subject and is dependent on many factors. With the Coprocessor you can inexpensively enhance the performance of your general purpose system while at the same time providing leading-edge security for your cryptographic keys and other secrets.