Secunet Security Networks : Microsoft and secunet provide cloud solution for German high-security market

The jointly-provided solution is to offer both on-premises products, which the user operates itself at a transition point in its infrastructure, and virtualised solutions that are fully integrated into the public cloud. SINA Cloud Connector, which will make it possible to encrypt data locally, store it in the cloud, and also to use Microsoft SharePoint via cloud technology by means of an additional module, is one of the first on-premises solutions.

Control over the cryptography and the keys used, is often decisive when it comes to the use of a cloud solution for particularly sensitive governmental data. In order to fulfil this requirement, the core functions of the tried and tested, certified SINA technology such as network and data encryption will in future also be provided via Microsoft Cloud Germany. These supplement the security mechanisms that exist in Microsoft Azure for authentication, HSM usage and safeguarding virtual machines in a way that enables sovereignty over the keys to be retained. Customer data is stored in German data centres only. Data is exchanged between the two data centres through a private network to ensure data resides in Germany. Access to the customer data stored in these new datacenters will be under the control of T-Systems, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, an independent German company acting as a data trustee.

'The partnership with secunet and the combination of our products enables our governmental customers in the future to use Microsoft Cloud solutions in the usual way for applications that have particularly high encryption requirements,' says Michael Kranawetter, National Security Officer at Microsoft Germany. Dr Rainer Baumgart, CEO at secunet, is confident in the new technology: 'The close collaboration between Microsoft and secunet makes it possible to use the partners' security technologies in such a way that cryptography is seamlessly integrated, whilst also making use of the scaling advantages offered by a cloud infrastructure. With the experience gained by both companies, we are able to provide trustworthy and reliable solutions for all authorities and businesses.'

About SINA
SINA (Secure Inter-Network Architecture) is a high-security solution that secunet has developed on behalf of the German Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, BSI). SINA is the only IP-based cryptography system with approvals from the BSI up to the level of confidentiality -SECRET - as well as the international approvals for EU SECRET and NATO SECRET. Notably, SINA has already been successfully used for many years by authorities and the armed forces.