Baltimore Technologies, a provider of Public Key
Infrastructure (PKI) systems,
formed a partnership with Datakey Inc., a supplier of cryptographic
information security solutions that deliver a certificate-based smart card
solution for strong, end user authentication.
With the integration of Datakey’s
SignaSURE smart card product and
Baltimore’s UniCERT Certificate Authority system, users can be identified and
authenticated using two-actor authentication–resulting in a security
solution suited for a wide range of electronic commerce and remote access
applications, the companies said.
“The ability to process private key operations and securely store digital
certificates in a smart card is critical for strong, mobile authentication,”
said Carl P. Boecher, president and CEO of Datakey.
Datakey’s SignaSURE CIP (Cryptographic Interface Provider) provides on-card
processing and storage of private cryptographic data that enables user
identification and authentication, secure data exchange, and information
validation.
Critical private key operations are performed on the smart card allowing a
much higher level of information security than is provided by software-only
systems. Datakey smart cards provide the user with the additional security of
two-factor authentication: something they know (a passphrase or PIN) and
something they have (a personal smart card). In addition, the smart cards give
the users portability of their digital certificate. They can gain access to
applications from any computer or workstation location.
“Security is one of the most important factors in successfully deploying smart
card technologies for use in electronic commerce and remote access
applications,” said Fran Rooney, president and CEO of Dublin, Ireland-based Baltimore Technologies. “Baltimore
selected Datakey as a smart card partner due to their leadership in providing
advanced security features and adherence to industry standards such as
PKCS#11.”