In May 2005 the CESG S(E)N 05/05 mandated that all installations of their current algorithms (Thunderbolt, Firestone, & Fireguard) must migrate to CESG’s new algorithm LOG FIRE starting in 2008. Recently CESG has extended the deadline for migrations to be the end of 2009 but only for existing systems. From 1st October 2008 all new systems must implement the LOG FIRE algorithm. CESG will be issuing another S(E)N to this effect in due course.
The May 2005 CESG decision required HP to engineer a new version of the HP ProtectTools Authentication Services (HPPT AS) to accommodate the new LOG FIRE algorithm and the associated use of generated pass phrases. This new version, HPPT AS V4.0, supports 32-bit Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
HPPT AS V4.1 will be available in Spring 2009 and will additionally support 64-bit Windows XP, Windows Vista, & Windows Server 2008 (but not Windows 2000).
For clarity, all previous versions of HPPT AS, and all versions of NT(SE) & Windows(SE) must be replaced by HPPT AS V4.x before the end of 2009.
Customers buying HPPT AS Licences after 1st October 2008 will have the right to use either the old CESG algorithms or the LOG FIRE algorithm as approved by CESG. It should be noted that if the licences are for an existing system using the old algorithms, only the additional licences have this right and the subsequent move to using LOGFIRE will require an application to SBL to cover the balance of the system licences. If the migration application gets CESG approval this will trigger the supply of LOG FIRE customisation strings from CESG and the supply of the appropriate version of the HPPT AS software from SBL.
As an example: on the 1st October 2008 a customer that has 100 three-year old HPPT AS V3.1 FIREGUARD Licences applies and receives CESG approval to extend the system by 50 licences. This customer would not necessarily receive any software but would receive an updated licence to use FIREGUARD on all 150 systems. Sometime during 2009, when the whole system needs to be migrated to LOGFIRE, the customer would need to apply to SBL for the whole 150 systems to be migrated to LOG FIRE. If CESG approved, the LOG FIRE customisation strings would be supplied from CESG and the appropriate LOG FIRE enabled HPPT AS licences and software would be supplied by SBL. In this instance the customer would only need to buy 100 HPPT AS LOG FIRE licences to replace the original 100 HPPT AS FIREGUARD Licences.
HP ProtectTools Authentication Services v4.0 with LOG FIRE is currently only available through SBL.
For further information and clarification, please contact SBL:
Telephone: 01347 812100
Email: enquiries@softbox.co.uk
HP and SBL will be running a variety of workshops in 2009 to communicate the above. The first of these events will take place on 18th May - click here for details.
If you would like to be kept informed of other LOG FIRE Migration Seminar dates please register your interest by emailing marketing@softbox.co.uk with the email subject as "HP LOG FIRE Migration event interest".