Data security on Ethernet LANs

A software independent solution for Ethernet LAN security is given by introducing a hardware device between the protected host and network. The device gives the host access only to data addressed to it, without interfering with communication between unprotected hosts, which operate independently of the protected system. The purpose of this paper is to describe the thinking behind the design of a practical implementation of the above mentioned device. This includes the choice and design of the encryption system and the key management system. The paper first discusses the design requirements and then describes how they were implemented. A detailed description of the encryption algorithm, a simulated one time pad key system with distributed management is also given. Finally, the performance of tested systems are discussed