* Digital Evolution introduces its XML VPN appliance and Controller software
VPNs are popping up in a new area: Web services – technology that enables PCs to talk to applications and applications to talk to applications via a common language to create new services without custom coding.
Using XML, these services enable sharing of Web applications among businesses without the entities involved having to share extensive details about their corporate networks. This is a plus for corporate security because it limits the amount of network information falling into the hands of outsiders – nevermind that they are partners.
An XML VPN would protect the Web services applications being transported across an IP network using encrypted virtual tunnels with their own security parameters. They would differ from Layer 3 VPNs in that they would look into the XML content itself for anomalies that might indicate intrusions.
The potential gap in Web services security is when the data is flowing among different corporate networks via the WAN where it needs to be protected. This opens up the classic questions of authentication, authorization, confidentiality, integrity and privacy – the elements that other forms of VPN try to address.
Recently a company called Digital Evolution introduced its XML VPN appliance and Controller software to address these elements. The device assembles the elements, making it unnecessary for customers to assemble them themselves. Integrating the separate elements would be a challenging, time-consuming alternative.
Digital Evolution’s appliance starts at $75,000 and can go up from there depending on the number of devices a customer buys and whether the Controller software is embedded or sold separately.
This area of Web services security is still evolving, with this being the first to invoke the name of VPN, where it seems a valid fit. As Digital Evolution and other vendors attempt to solve Web services security problems, we can expect more XML VPN products to pop up.
