F5 Networks announced the availability of a joint solution with Equinix, the global interconnection and data center company, that provides automated HSM (hardware security module) capabilities as-a-service. Previously introduced at F5's 2018 global Agility conference, this integration combines F5 BIG-IP and Equinix SmartKey technologies
to simplify encryption key lifecycle management and provide superior
security for organizations hesitant to store their ever-increasing
number of keys in the public cloud.
"Our
focus is on applications-front and center," said Calvin Rowland, SVP of
Business Development at F5. "Building on a longstanding and fruitful
collaboration, this new solution integrates Equinix SmartKey into
a joint cloud gateway solution, giving customers the ability to
automate the configuration and management of encryption keys within the
F5 BIG-IP platform
to better support today's growing portfolios of distributed
applications. Extending the value of each companies' offerings-with F5
solutions delivering HSM capabilities inside the Equinix International
Business Exchange (IBX) data centers-essentially delivers the best of both cloud and on-premises deployments."
Today's
enterprises seek to embrace the cost and efficiency benefits of cloud
but find themselves with the daunting task of securely managing data and
encryption capabilities across private, public, hybrid, or multi-cloud
environments. At the same time, many organizations have found that
third-party cloud service provider offerings around KMS (key management
services) can quickly add complexity-with each provider maintaining a
different set of security keys-and fall short of protecting on-premises
components, such as those required for an end-to-end hybrid cloud HSM
service. Given that organizations are often charged with supporting
legacy systems as well, this previous lack of extensibility has limited
the appeal of moving certain applications and data to the cloud.
The joint Equinix and F5 solution brings together HSM and KMS capabilities into a cloud-agnostic HSM as a Service offering
to deliver the security and simplicity required for both hybrid and
multi-cloud environments. Specifically, the integration of SmartKey and
BIG-IP provides a network-based solution that preserves the ability to
perform a full suite of key lifecycle management functions as a service
in the cloud. This approach promotes valuable use cases, including SSL
termination, acceleration and offloading, as well as data encryption and
decryption, without prohibitive trade-offs around complexity or
security.
"Through
an integrated, out-of-the-box SSL key management solution, F5 and
Equinix technologies accelerate the performance of secure network
applications," said Lance Weaver, VP, Platform Strategy & Emerging
Services at Equinix. "This gives customers an innovative way to protect
their increasingly distributed digital business assets, without locking
them into one set of cloud service provider capabilities. With many use
cases providing attractive cost savings, this latest joint effort
between Equinix and F5 enables the automated retrieval of encryption
keys without customer intervention, regardless of how specific
surrounding infrastructure components have been architected."