A Plug-and-Play Data Security Platform
(M. H. Wong)

As more and more company data are being processed and stored, especially in Network Attached Storage (NAS) or Storage Area Network (SAN), which is deployed to improve the scalability and manageability of and access to critical data, significant security risks arise because of the larger chances of unauthorized access, theft and virus intrusion. Technologies such as Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems and Virtual Private Networks can only secure data assets by protecting the perimeter of the network. They do not address the security of the stored data. This project aims at developing a Plug-and-Play Data Security Platform (PDSP) for NAS systems, in the form of a hardware box with software, which can provide comprehensive protection of stored data, and which can be integrated transparently into the existing operating environment of SME in general. The technology is application-independent, vendor-agnostic and will not interfere with any user workflow. The PDSP combines secure access controls, authentication, data encryption, encryption key management and secure logging to provide maximum protection and manageability of stored data.