can be freely copied into derivative works.
Via's Padlock Hardware Suite features quantum-based random number generation with the Via PadLock RNG (Random Number Generator) and AES encryption at "blistering" speeds through the Via PadLock ACE (Advanced Cryptography Engine). Via says it developed PadLock to address the problem of security software that typically loads PC system resources and hampers overall performance.
"The Via PadLock features are not a complete security solution or module. Instead, they are "building blocks for security programs," a Via spokesperson explained. "The SDK shows programmers how to gain access to the Via PadLock ACE and Via PadLock RNG."
Via claims that RNG and AES reduce the workload on the CPU during demanding operations that security programs rely on. An example is CyberScrub 3.5 that uses random data to fill up available space on a hard drive, and overwrites space occupied by previously deleted files to make them irretrievable. Generating all these random numbers in software can consume a lot of CPU bandwidth. If run on a system with a Via processor that implements the Via PadLock RNG, it not only runs faster, but also requires less CPU bandwidth because the random number generation is accomplished in hardware. CyberScrub 3.5 is the first third party software package to incorporate support for the Via PadLock RNG.
The Padlock SDK is available for download from
OpenFoundry.org and from
Via Arena. A white paper on Via's Security Initiative is available for download as a PDF file,
here
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