Encryption/decryption device for secure communications between a protected network and an unprotected network and associated methods

Abstract

The encryption/decryption device includes a plaintext unit, a ciphertext unit and a cryptographic unit connected therebetween. The plaintext unit may include a logic device such as a first programmable logic device (PLD), e.g. a field programmable gate array (FPGA), for interfacing with the protected network to perform encapsulation of data from the protected network to define outgoing datagrams, and to perform decapsulation of incoming datagrams from the cytographic unit. The ciphertext unit may include a second logic device such as a PLD or FPGA for interfacing with the unprotected network to perform routing of incoming encrypted datagrams from the unprotected network to the cryptographic unit, and to perform routing of outgoing encrypted datagrams from the cryptographic unit to the unprotected network. The cryptographic unit may also be a PLD or FPGA and performs encryption of outgoing datagrams from the plaintext unit, and to perform decryption of incoming encrypted datagrams from the ciphertext unit to define the incoming datagrams.