By Justin Smith CIOReview

For over 30 years, Communication Devices, Inc. (CDI) has been a leading designer, seller and manufacturer of secure out-of-band management products from its U.S. based operations in northern New Jersey. The company specializes in FIPS-validated, turnkey solutions that use alternative communication methods outside the network’s bandwidth to access firewalls, computers, switches and servers. Equipped with these capabilities, it serves numerous businesses with large enterprise networks, including insurance companies, financial institutions, pharmaceutical firms, and major utilities.

No Network, No Problem

CDI’s PA100 series is a highly secure out-of-band management solution designed specifically for U.S. government networks. The PA100 is FIPS 140-2 validated and has Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) approval for government installations. The product has undergone rigorous testing before being approved for use within secure facilities. In addition, it received the FIPS 140-1 certificate at launch, which was then later updated for FIPS 140-2 authentication. It is now set to be among the first validated tools in the upcoming FIPS 140-3 mandate.

Equally impressive is CDI’s PA200 commercial series. Built for flexible enterprise infrastructures comprising various devices, this product line enables clients to choose from a wide range of device management options based on their security and operational preferences. From simple CLI access to full-featured keystroke logging, these tools make out-of-band management easy and secure.

A distinct aspect of the CDI series is the ability to function even if the network is down. CDI’s products don’t rely on network protocols like TACACS+ and RADIUS or any central server. All security and encryption capabilities are integrated into the product infrastructure and managed by CDI’s central management system, Out-of-Band Manager (OBM).

The OBM is a Windows-based product with a GUI and a browser interface. It allows storage of all keys and security information on a server, which then distributes the database to each remote system. This ensures secure communication with the system even if the remote CDI device lacks connectivity to the customer network.