Simtec Electronics Announces Solution To Entropy Shortages On Virtual Servers And Desktops.
Nov 14th, 05:42 UTC
Simtec's low-cost Entropy Key keeps a server's or desktop system's entropy pool topped up for improved security and performance, and is especially useful on virtual server systems where virtual guest systems are unable to collect sufficient entropy themselves, leading to poor performance. It can also be used where ever high-quality random numbers are needed, such as modeling and gambling. Prices start at £20 ($35 US), and devices can be purchased now directly from http://www.entropykey.co.uk/
Preston, United Kingdom; 9th November 2009. Simtec today announced the Entropy Key, a small, inexpensive USB device that generates high-quality random numbers. Random numbers, or entropy, are essential for the secure operation of everything from email to web servers, and from VPNs to systems designed to increase the difficulty of exploiting software security bugs. A modern server consumes entropy for a surprisingly large range of tasks, and traditionally these numbers have been collected exclusively using methods such as hard disc seek times, key presses, and other such inputs. The Entropy Key allows machines to be easily and quickly upgraded with a very high-quality hardware random number generator, which has two quantum noise generators and built-in processing to monitor the device for attacks, faults and generated number quality.
As an example, modern Linux systems keep a pool of 4096 bits of entropy and consume 64 bits of this every time a new process starts. This can quickly reduce the pool to almost empty, creating latency problems when another security-sensitive task such as initiating a VPN link, or receiving an email starts. This is because these new tasks will simply stall until enough entropy is in the pool to satisfy their needs; or else they will continue with insufficient entropy, thereby rendering themselves less secure. The Entropy Key helps keep this pool topped up with high-quality true random numbers, allowing the system to avoid such stalls, as well as improving the security of those tasks which continue regardless.
The problem of entropy is a serious one in cloud and virtual computing. Virtual servers rarely have any real hardware from which they can collect random numbers in the usual way, meaning they often suffer from having nearly-empty entropy pools. Some solutions exist to allow the sharing of the host server's entropy pool among its guests, but this quickly exhausts the host's own pool. The Entropy Key provides an easy solution to this, by keeping the pool full. Additionally, entropy can be exported directly from the Entropy Key to guests over a virtual network, reducing the overhead further still.
The Entropy Key is supported by an open-source user-space driver, which is available for many popular distributions of Linux, as well as being of use on various BSDs.
About Simtec Electronics: Simtec is a full solutions provider with a proven track record of helping clients with all aspects of a project, from initial concept and design through to manufacturing finished product. With 20 years in the industry, and producing ARM CPU modules since 1992, Simtec's wide experience in embedded systems and the Linux kernel provide a strong base on which to build custom hardware and software solutions, from the smallest of USB devices to the largest complex Linux systems. Simtec's custom-off-the-shelf design service, utilising a range of pre-designed modules of various functions, allows for rapid design and prototype turnaround, reducing time-to-market. Simtec also provide a full software development consultancy with an extensive range of products from boot loaders to full Linux based operating system environments and a range of development boards showcasing Simtec's modular designs.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
Contacts:
Simtec Electronics,
Avondale Drive,
Tarleton,
Preston,
Lancs,
PR4 6AX,
United Kingdom.
Web: http://www.simtec.co.uk/ Shop: http://www.entropykey.co.uk/
Email: info@simtec.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1772 978010
Fax: +44 (0)1772 816426
(Submitted by Rob Kendrick of Simtec Electronics)
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