Compare data diodes in OPSWAT's Data Diode Buying Guide

Data diodes, also known as cross-domain solutions (CDS), are used to provide secure, one-way data transfer between low and high security networks. For safety reasons, high security networks such as military networks and industrial control systems are often disconnected from the Internet in so-called air-gapped or isolated networks. This is very effective for security but can hamper efficiency. In order to improve productivity while maintaining security, data diodes can be used to provide one-way traffic into the secure network, ensuring that data can enter the network, but no data can leave. 

Most data diodes accomplish the one-way limitation by a fiber-optic network link, with the send and receive transceivers removed or disconnected for one direction. Some products also include software in order to authorize and allow only certain types of trusted communication.

In this Data Diode Buying Guide we compare the different data diode offerings to help you decide which product suits your organization best. For each data diode, we list a number of product attributes to allow for easy comparison.

Support for anti-virus

Since data diode traffic is unfiltered, it is important to add anti-virus to ensure that the data diode traffic is scanned for malware. For each data diode we specify whether they offer a single anti-virus solution, and whether they offer the option of multi-scanning with multiple anti-virus engines for the highest protection. 

Integration with portable media kiosks

In addition, the guide lists whether the data diode can be used with a portable media malware-scanning kiosk to transfer clean files into the secure area, avoiding the need to bring in removable media. Some data diodes offer additional secure file transfer functionality to ensure that only authenticated users and guests can retrieve their files in the secure area.

About OPSWAT

OPSWAT's Metadefender Kiosk is a portable media security solution for high security networks that enables organizations to control the flow of data into and out of the organization. Metadefender can quickly scan files with up to 30 leading anti-malware engines to detect and block advanced threats, clean potentially malicious files, as well as apply user based security policies.​ Combined with a data diode and Metadefender Secure File Transfer, portable media files can be transferred without having to bring any portable media into the secure area, increasing security and providing important tracking & auditing information.