A partnership between SmartSynch, Inc., a smart grid infrastructure company utilizing standard Internet Protocol communications via public wireless networks, and AuthenTec (News - Alert), provider of security, identity management and touch control solutions has been announced. The partnership will provide an additional layer of fortification to SmartSynch's smart grid infrastructure solutions. AuthenTec's carrier-grade network security solution, the QuickSec/IPsec toolkit, to provide standards-compliant authentication, confidentiality, and data integrity for its smart grid solutions has been selected by SmartSynch.

Stephen Johnston, CEO, SmartSynch said the future of energy in the U.S. depends upon smart grid technology. The infrastructure must be extremely robust and secure against hackers, he added. The security measures that protect millions of highly sensitive financial transactions every day are already used by SmartSynch solutions. Working together with AuthenTec will further optimize SmartSynch's solutions to securely and reliably deliver critical smart grid data over public wireless networks. This will enable quicker, easier, and more scalable deployments while raising the return on resources for utilities.

Dr. Simon Blake-Wilson, vice president embedded security solutions, AuthenTec said as a critical infrastructure, the nation's energy grid must be secure in order to avoid threats to human safety and serious economic losses. He added with the optimization of AuthenTec's QuickSec/IPsec toolkit for SmartSynch's smart grid infrastructure solutions, customers will be provided with an easy to deploy, industry-proven, complete IPsec security solution. This solution can be quickly deployed at reduced costs. He added, the company was excited about the partnership with SmartSynch, which is the company's first foray into smart grids and first key embedded security announcement under the AuthenTec banner.

The most broadly deployed carrier-grade IPsec security platform in the networking industry is AuthenTec's QuickSec/IPsec toolkit. This will deliver the advanced levels of protection, reliability, and performance mandated by OEM vendors and latest industry standards. Complete high-performance security systems can be enabled with integration of QuickSec and AuthenTec's SafeXcel security processors. AuthenTec's award-winning technology helps organizations reduce the cost of regulatory compliance, minimize risk of data loss, and protect sensitive data, by securing data at rest, in motion and in use.

SmartSynch and AuthenTec will be launching smart grid infrastructure solutions at the SmartSynch Conference 2010: 'Enabling Communication for the Smart Grid' in New Orleans.