PGP on IBM System z Mainframes

With the new z13 model, IBM announced another round of enhancements and improvements to the venerable IBM System z Mainframe. Focusing on mobile and social media integration, IBM is yet again modernizing and extending this high-end enterprise server.

While the IBM System z Mainframe has a well-earned reputation for security, how do Mainframe customers protect their data as they move towards more open, internet-based mobile and social media integration?

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is one path to provable and defensible security, and PGP Command Line is the de facto standard for enterprise customers.

PGP is one of the most commonly accepted and widely deployed whole file encryption technologies that has stood the test of time. It works on all of the major operating system platforms and makes it easy to deploy strong encryption to protect data assets. And it runs on the IBM System z Mainframe!

For about a decade we at Townsend Security have been bringing PGP encryption to Mainframe customers to help them solve some of the most difficult problems with encryption. As partners with Symantec we provide IBM enterprise customers running IBM System z and IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) with the same strong encryption solution that runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, Unix, and other platforms.

Incorporating the OpenPGP standard, PGP Command Line from Townsend Security and backed by Symantec, is compatible with a variety of open source PGP encryption solutions, while adding features to warm the heart of the IBM Mainframe customers. And this is the same PGP whose underlying PGP SDK has been through multiple FIPS 140-2 validations and which is FIPS 140-2 compliant today.

While retaining the core functions of PGP and the standards-based approach to encryption, we’ve been busy extending PGP specifically for the IBM Mainframe customer. Here are just a few of the things we’ve done with PGP to embrace the IBM Mainframe architecture:

• Native z/OS Batch operation
• Support for USS operation
• Text mode enhancements for z/OS datasets
• Integrated EBCDIC to ASCII conversion using built-in IBM facilities
• Simplified IBM System z machine and partition licensing
• Support for self-decrypting archives targeting Windows, Mac, and Linux!
• A rich set of working JCL samples
• Free evaluation on your own IBM Mainframe

IBM Mainframe customers never have to transfer data to a Windows or Linux server to perform encryption, and in the process exposing data to loss on those platforms. With full cross-platform support you can encrypt and decrypt data on the IBM Mainframe regardless of its origination or destination.

PGP Command Line is the gold standard for whole file encryption, and you don’t have to settle for less.

Patrick