Patent ID: 8601258

Claim:
A method for implementing encryption comprising: interfacing an encryption device between a first network and a second transport medium; maintaining centralized encryption policies at the encryption device for a plurality of devices connected to at least one of the first network or the second transport medium wherein maintaining the centralized encryption policies comprises: maintaining priority designators for initiator devices connected to the first network representing encryption priorities for the initiator devices; maintaining priority designators for target devices connected to the second transport medium representing encryption priorities for the target devices; receiving data from any of a plurality of initiator devices connected to the first network destined for any of a plurality of target devices connected to the second transport medium, the data being received at the encryption device; determining, using the encryption device, a centralized encryption policy to apply to the data, wherein said determining comprises: identifying a sending initiator device that sent the data; identifying a specified target device to which the sending initiator device sent the data; and comparing a priority designator for the sending initiator device with a priority designator for a specified target device, wherein the determination of the centralized encryption policy to apply is based on an outcome of the comparison between the priority designator for the sending initiator device with the priority designator for the specified target device; if the data should be encrypted based on the determined centralized encryption policy: encrypting the data using an encryption engine at the encryption device; and forwarding the encrypted data to the specified target device using the second transport medium; and otherwise forwarding unencrypted data to the specified target device.