Faced the migration towards broadband networking technologies, formerly visionary applications, as divers as teleworking, telemedicine, or electronic commerce are expected to emerge to broad usage. This makes confidential communication in broadband networks a challenging basic condition.
In this paper, we present an ATM encryption model that is focused towards independence of both the hardware of the end user device, and the application utilizing ATM as transport media. Therefore, the ATM cell stream is intercepted by high-speed data encryption standard (DES), TripleDES encryption hardware using well defined, standardized interfaces. Considering the various access rates ATM is defined for, the encryption unit being developed is designed independent of the physical media, capable of supporting transmission rates up to 155 Mbps. Thus, the solution is applicable to broadband-integrated services digital network (B-ISDN) end user devices, ranging from narrowband to multi-Mbps access rates.