Vendors get behind encryption spec

A new protocol should allow hardware devices and encryption systems to communicate

A group of hardware and security vendors, including HP, IBM and RSA, are putting their weight behind a new encryption key specification.

The Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP) proposes a method for allowing various hardware devices and encryption systems to communicate and manage multiple encryption keys.

Other companies backing the standard include Seagate, LSI, Brocade and Thales.

The companies hope that the KMIP specification will allow users to more efficiently decrypt data, and manage secured hardware without reducing the security level of encryption systems.

Those behind the specification said that they now intend to submit it to the Organisation for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (Oasis) in hopes of eventually establishing KMIP as a security industry standard for encryption key management. Oasis has already come out in favour of the move.

"The IT community is asking for open standards and interoperability to help meet the increasing demand for encryption," said Oasis executive director Laurent Liscia.

"We applaud Brocade, HP, IBM, LSI, RSA, Seagate and Thales for choosing to advance KMIP through the open standards process, and we encourage others in the security community, both users and providers, to participate in the standardisation of this very important work."