Equinix, Inc, the global interconnection and data centre company, has launched Equinix SmartKeyTM, a global key management and encryption Software as a Service (SaaS) offering, aiming to simplify data protection across any cloud or destination
The service leverages Equinix’s globally interconnected platform of more than 190 International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centres in 48 markets to securely host encryption keys separate from, but in close proximity to, the data located across networks and hybrid multi-cloud environments.
SmartKey is the industry’s first globally available major management and cryptography SaaS using Intel® SGX technology, which ensures confidentiality of customer information. The service is powered by Fortanix’s next-generation HSM and features Fortanix Runtime Encryption technology to ensure the privacy of keys.
According to the Global Interconnection Index, the next three years are forecasted to see approximately 50 per cent growth in the traffic capacity needed by enterprises to directly connect with, and exchange data across, multiple clouds, IT providers and third-party network destinations.
This move to disperse data across multiple clouds and third-party providers creates an immediate need that SmartKey is uniquely positioned to solve, including improving security for multi-cloud, hybrid-cloud and distributed environments by separating the encryption keys from the data so that both keys and data are not held by the same entity. It also eliminates the need to purchase and deploy specialised hardware by replacing this traditional method with a private, secure and distributed SaaS capability.
Lance Weaver, vice-president for emerging services at Equinix, said, “Given the cybersecurity risks of today's distributed application, cloud and data environments, customers are turning to encryption as one of the most effective controls to protect their critical information, and as a result the need for private, secure, globally available key management becomes paramount.”
Equinix SmartKey aims to solve this challenge by integrating with public and hybrid clouds globally while providing the privacy that puts control of data back where it belongs, in the hands of the customer.
