rom firewalls to secret decoder systems, security equals peace of mind for Internet-related businesses. Every area of e-commerce is affected by the possibility of electronic theft. The demand for solid assurances in the safe and secure transmission of sensitive financial data is at an all-time high.

To meet this demand, Securealink, a leading provider of security solutions, recently introduced a processor chip that is extremely fast and easy to integrate, especially for security-system developers of POS devices.

The PCC2010 is Securealink's newest member of its cryptographic processor chip family. Offering a substantial price/performance break to such applications as secure socket layer (SSL), gaming and POS devices, the PCC2010 operates at a clock speed of 25 MHz and has an impressive private-key performance of 344 encryptions per second.

Together with a 32-bit on-chip RISC processor, true random number generator, secure memory and symmetric engines such as 3DES and Hashing, the PCC2010 connects to a microprocessor via an easy-to-implement 16/32-bit interface. The result is a substantially faster time-to-market at a lower overall cost.

A leading innovator of "Security Solutions in Silicon," Securealink provides secure high-performance ICs supporting commonly used protocols. Its secure chips are integrated into such devices as smart-card readers, POS terminals and VPN and SSL appliances. With more than 150 designs in the marketplace, Securealink offers speed, performance and depth and breadth of experience in security IC design.

"Security is rapidly growing in importance in almost every segment of our lives," said Cees Jan Koomen, Securealink chairman. "The PCC2010 allows Securealink's proven cryptographic technology, developed over the past 15 years, to become the security foundation in a myriad of new applications - from ATMs to slot machines."

Securealink's PCC2010 is housed in a 256-pinball grid array and sells for about $60 in volumes of 10,000 units. To try the chip, speed on over to www.securealink.com.