Blue Ridge Networks, headquartered in Chantilly Virginia, has been a leader in the development and deployment of virtual private network technology for more than 10 years. The company provides secure networks for the United States intelligence community and commercial enterprises, servicing over 11,000 sites and 100,000 users in 34 countries.

Recipient of the Security Proof of Concept Keystone (SPOCK) validation from the Department of Defense on three separate occasions, Blue Ridge says it guarantees performance in the critical areas of secure network transmission for users seeking to communicate sensitive information using the Internet. In addition to the DoD certification, says Blue Ridge, the company's solutions are both FIPS-140 certified and HIPAA compliant.

Blue Ridge Networks' Borderguard VPN service is built on a CryptoServer attached to the customer's network and combines Public Key Infrastructure and cryptographic tunneling to protect data communications with an integrated system.

According to Blue Ridge, the company's products are designed to simplify implementation for customers, through plug-and-play customer premise equipment, a 24x7 end user help desk and services surrounding the design, reporting and management of the VPN. The security of the solutions is ensured through the use of "client token" smart cards and PKI, eliminating management hassles while providing strong authentication to guard against compromise.

Blue Ridge says customers can choose from a variety of encryption algorithms, including Triple-DES, AES and IDEA; depending on customers' needs and applications.

Customers interested in finding more information about Blue Ridge Networks' VPN services can contact the company through its Web site (blueridgenetworks.com), by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (703) 631-0700.