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Scott, IMHO, if it needs to be secure, don't transmit it over a network. If you must transmit it, encrypt it. To encrypt, you can encrypt your transmission media, AND encrypt your message. Like, encrypt your email, and only transfer the file that contains the email over an encrypted tunnel. Still, if it goes into the hands of another vendor (think TimeWarner, Comcast, ATT, etc) ASSUME it is not encrypted and available for others to read out of the 'ethers' of the internet. There are 'secured networks' available for a price. I have used S.W.I.F.T. ( swift.com ) when working for a bank in the past. They are the private consortium that the EU chose to implement the EU version of the US FedWire network that the USA uses to transfer money between bank and the federal reserve. Some banks are also on SWIFT and can send secured messages, including wire transfers, internationally (or domestically). Neither SWIFT or FedWire are 'plug and play' solutions. In general, each uses regular 'last mile' solutions (ususally redundant), but the routers on each end are encrypting routers, that only tend to do point to point communications. SWIFT changed over a few years ago to using a private secured world wide IP network. As you can tell, I was impressed with SWIFT, their support, and training. Swift also has a 'secured commercial' product, to allow corporations to have secured IP communications. It does NOT go over the open internet. Media that SWIFT uses, for us (very low traffic) was ISDN and used Netscreen encrypting endpoint routers. The ISDN dialed into their 'secured hubs', and went out onto their network from there (similar to a dial-up ISP, but totally encrypted). Their products increased to frac-T1's, full T and D type network connections, and I am sure others. But don't expect to pay 'commodity networking' prices either. The preferred carrier for SWIFT is your local telco, and they get it onto an AT&T based system 'quickly' to get it into the secured SWIFT network. BTW, SWIFT is owned by member banks and is based in Belgum. It is not a governmental entity (officially or legally). All this is to say that FedWire is also a secured (butI I think it is still SDLC rather than IP based), and is not available outside the banking world. Many large companies run their own networks if they consider it is needed and have for many years, but going over common carriers for IP is becoming more common, and just encrypting their traffic using secured tunnels. Many Cisco and NetScreen (and others) provide 'encrypting routers' so you don't need another 'secured server' to do it for you. I hope this helps a little. IHS ... Jack On Jun 30, 2009, at 7:47 AM, Scott Ehrlich wrote: > > Do they have equal weight when it comes to security of residential > > communication, and the customer can boil it down to price? >
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