Wireless connectivity is poised to revolutionize consumer electronics and PC peripherals. High performance wireless networking solutions allow today's USB and 1394 devices to benefit from wireless interfaces and a tangle-free environment. In addition, supported by emerging standards such as 802.15.3, wireless technology will eventually be used to replace the tangle of wires needed to transfer video and audio signals. While delivering all the functionality of wired networks but with greater convenience and flexibility, wireless networks also introduce risks. No longer bound by wires, data is transmitted through radio waves that travel through ceilings, floors, and walls. Without stringent security measures in place, transmitted data may reach unintended recipients on different floors or even outside the building. In a graver scenario, hackers could maliciously inject objectionable content onto a child's portable video display. To protect against potential security breaches, wireless networks need to provide data protection, device authentication and privacy comparable to that of traditional wired networks.

First-generation wireless security architectures leveraged corporate security infrastructures that were originally designed for resource-rich computers and devices administered by IT professionals. While these technologies were acceptable in the enterprise, they are unacceptable in the emerging consumer wireless networking markets that are both price and power-sensitive. NTRU Aerolink is the only complete security solution to offer the strength, scalability and efficiency to support wireless consumer electronics without relying upon expensive external infrastructures.

NTRU Aerolink is a complete security solution for wireless networks. The suite contains the following components:

• Symmetric Encryption Hardware Cores
  Aerolink provides hardware cores designed to enable full data rate encryption and integrity checking on all network packets. These cores are based on the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and are provided in a variety of configurations depending on the requirements of the network.
• Cryptographic Security Suites
  Aerolink provides highly optimized implementations of the public key cryptographic algorithms used for device authentication and symmetric key exchange. Aerolink cryptographic security suite offers the patented NTRU algorithm for optimal performance, and the RSA algorithm for implementations where performance is not the driving requirement.
• Security Kernel
  Aerolink security kernel simplifies the addition of security into a wireless networking device by providing a high level API to the core cryptographic functionality.
• Aerolink Services
  The Aerolink team is ready to provide consulting services from design to manufacturing to ensure that the final product delivers the required level of security.

Application Example: Consumer Electronics

Consumers are frustrated by the tangle of video and audio cables feeding today's home theater systems. Installation of system components, including speakers and interconnecting wires, is a frustrating task for consumers. Often, this task involves drilling holes into walls or marring the appearance of a living room with visible cable runs. While wireless home theater systems certainly offer greater aesthetic and ease of installation appeal, wireless content distribution makes it more difficult for consumers to define their networks. Two televisions, one in your apartment and one in your neighbor's apartment, may be within wireless range of your DVD player or digital camcorder. Consumers expect the ability to restrict the content for only those devices they want to render it. You don't want your neighbors to see what you're watching on TV or to access your personal digital library. NTRU Aerolink enforces network definition by allowing for encrypted content streams and providing strong device authentication.

Application Example: PC Peripherals

A laptop can use wireless networking to send content to be displayed by an XGA projector, eliminating the need for video cables and jacks. Without strong security, a successful attacker could intercept confidential content or inject objectionable content in the midst of a business meeting. NTRU Aerolink prevents these attacks by authenticating and encrypting display data.