Software House products earn FIPS 197 validation

WESTFORD, MA — June 5, 2013 –– Software House, part of the Security Products business unit of Tyco (NYSE: TYC), has announced that it has attained the U.S. Government’s Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 197 validation for its complete iSTAR physical access controller family, including iSTAR Edge, iSTAR Pro, iSTAR eX, and soon-to-be-released iSTAR Ultra.

FIPS 197 is the government’s standard for the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption algorithm for electronic data. It is the preferred cryptographic method utilized by U.S. government agencies due to its high-level of cryptographic key strength.

The FIPS 197 validation is based on the implementation of the C•CURE Cryptographic Engine v2.0, utilized by Software House to provide cryptographic services within the iSTAR controllers as well as the C•CURE 9000 security and event management system. C•CURE 9000 is a highly scalable security and event management platform, allowing users to meet access control and security needs from entry to enterprise level.

“Our latest FIPS 197 validation demonstrates our commitment to providing the industry’s highest levels of encryption across our entire product line” said Rick Focke, senior product manager for Software House. “Now all iSTAR network controllers, from our single-reader iSTAR Edge up to a 16-reader iSTAR Pro or iSTAR Ultra, can communicate peer-to-peer in an encrypted manner, even when offline from the host.”

The FIPS 197 standard is a joint effort by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States and the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) under the Canadian government. The standard provides third-party assurance of security claims on any product containing cryptography that may be purchased by a government agency.

To view the FIPS 197 validation list, go to: http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cavp/documents/aes/aesval.html