Intel criticises Windows 2000 encryption

Using data encryption in Windows 2000 can dramatically slow down your corporate network, according to Intel's EMEA marketing director, Andy Greenhalgh.

Greenhalgh, of Intel's Network and Communications Group, told Silicon.com that companies that want high levels of internal security without degrading the performance of their LAN (Local Area Network) should avoid using the encryption facility in Microsoft's latest operating system.

"Windows 2000 uses IP security that can authenticate people as well as actually encrypt data on the network," he said. "However, if used to the maximum potential, it puts a huge strain on the CPU (central processing unit) and the network, which reduces the speed of the network."

Greenhalgh's claims were backed by Hyperion consultant Dave Birch, who said authentication requests can cause server side bottlenecks. "The two issues for corporates are encryption and authentication. Both require complex mathematical calculations. If you have a network of several thousand seats, all with secure email and Web browsing, the client side will be no problem, it's built in - the choke point is at the server side."

Intel this week launched its latest range of security products in the US, including a chipset with encryption capabilities - something Greenhalgh claims can take the strain of the LAN. "If you put the same security algorithms onto the hardware - the network speed is not be affected."

Compaq and IBM in Europe have already signed up to manufacture machines containing the chipset - which combines Intel's 82559C Fast Ethernet Controller and the 82594ED Network Encryption Co-Processor.

According to Intel, recent research by the FBI and Computer Security Institute in the US found that businesses lose around 500 per cent more through poor security on the internal network than from people accessing the LAN from the outside.