Air gap (networking)

As an Air Gap ( English for " air gap" ) or Air wall ( English for " air wall", in analogy to a firewall whose purpose is similar) is in the computer science refers to a process that separates two IT systems physically and logically from one another, but the transmission of user data permits.

An air gap is used, two or more different computers or computer networks, trusted to isolate from each other, but have to process data of the other system.

In November 2013, scientists have shown that air gaps can be overcome by means of acoustic hidden networks. Computer without any possibility of sound analysis ( connected microphone or similar) are against this type of attack, however, immune.

Realization

An Air Gap is often implemented as a process that can be transmitted through transport of a storage medium in which data. In this case, a portable medium is inserted in the source system described therein, removed therefrom and placed in the target system, where the content is read and processed. The benefit lies in the isolation of the systems of one another:

• The possibility for data transmission in one direction can be guaranteed
• The target system can not be addressed by the / source systems
• Is even with the transmission of malware, etc. (if the target system does not have a connection to a corresponding computer network such as the Internet), no return channel is available, which could for example allow the transmission of confidential content

Besides the realization as a process exist technical implementations of the air-gap concept:

• The e - Gap products from Microsoft (formerly of Whale Communications )
• The Reflective Gap products of Spearhead Technologies Inc.
• The Data - Diode- products of Owl Computing Technologies, Inc.
• The Interactive Link Data Diode BAE Systems Australia (formerly of Tenix Data Gate)
• The Lock-Keeper technology from Siemens
• The Waterfall products of Waterfall Security Solutions