Rambus recently introduced IP that adds a security stack to support 800 Gbps communications links. You might think, “what does speed have to do with security?” Speed does matter in security.

Hackers, thieves, individuals, and governments have a way of exploiting weaknesses in every part of a communications system. While we normally think of security as a totally software issue, that’s not always the case. Networks must process and analyze data in real time to catch attacks.

With 5G now starting to drive more data down the wireline and with the emergence of fronthaul transport, the never-ending increase in data rates pushes on. Today’s optical links can reach 800 Gbps aggregated from 8x100G and 4x200G.

In December 2019, Rambus added security protocol IP to its product line with that acquisition of Verimatrix (formerly Inside Secure). Rambus has introduced MACsec-IP-163/164, IP that you can add to an FPGA, ASIC, or SoC to add security protocols to links as fast as 800 Gbps.

5GTW spoke with Neeraj Paliwal, VP and GM of Rambus Security and Gijs Willemse, senior director of Security IP at Rambus to learn more about MACsec, how it works, and how engineers can incorporate it into their IC designs.