A TACLANE is a network encryption device developed by the National Security Agency

National Security Agency

The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...

 (NSA) to provide network communications security

Communications security

Communications security is the discipline of preventing unauthorized interceptors from accessing telecommunications in an intelligible form, while still delivering content to the intended recipients. In the United States Department of Defense culture, it is often referred to by the abbreviation...

 on Internet Protocol

Internet Protocol

The Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...

 (IP) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode

Asynchronous Transfer Mode

Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a standard switching technique designed to unify telecommunication and computer networks. It uses asynchronous time-division multiplexing, and it encodes data into small, fixed-sized cells. This differs from approaches such as the Internet Protocol or Ethernet that...

 (ATM) networks

Computer network

A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....

 for the individual user or for enclaves of users at the same security level. A TACLANE is a low-cost, Type 1

Type 1 encryption

In cryptography, a Type 1 product is a device or system certified by the National Security Agency for use in cryptographically securing classified U.S...

, key-agile, in-line network encryptor for deployment in Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

 (DOD) tactical and strategic networks. TACLANEs allow users to communicate securely over legacy

Legacy system

A legacy system is an old method, technology, computer system, or application program that continues to be used, typically because it still functions for the users' needs, even though newer technology or more efficient methods of performing a task are now available...

 networks such as the Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) packet network, Non-Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet

NIPRNet

The Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Network is used to exchange sensitive but unclassified information between "internal" users as well as providing users access to the Internet. NIPRNet is composed of Internet Protocol routers owned by the United States Department of Defense...

), Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet

SIPRNet

The Secret Internet Protocol Router Network is "a system of interconnected computer networks used by the United States Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State to transmit classified information by packet switching over the TCP/IP protocols in a 'completely secure' environment"...

), and emerging ATM networks. TACLANEs provide encryption

Encryption

In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...

 for IP datagram traffic. ATM traffic and IP datagrams are encapsulated in ATM cells to support a variety of IP, ATM, and mixed network configurations. TACLANEs can be used to overlay Secure Virtual Networks on top of existing public and/or private network infrastructures.

The TACLANE is manufactured by General Dynamics C4 Systems

General Dynamics C4 Systems

General Dynamics C4 Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics. General Dynamics C4 Systems is a leading integrator of secure communication and information systems and technology.-History:...

.