According to Comtrust's General Manager, Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, the nature of business in the Middle East calls for great mobility. As a result any e-security solution should be able to offer the same degree of protection regardless of whether the user is in the office or on the road.
"The ability for users to remotely connect to secure networks is great as is the need for secure online communication. The pre-dominant username/password scheme of authentication is insufficient to effectively control access to sensitive information," said Julfar.
"PKI has enabled organizations to tackle the inherent security issues of authentication, confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation of online communication. The next step was to develop a means of effectively packaging this technology thus allowing complete mobility without compromising security," explained Julfar.
As a result Comtrust developed a customized and readily deployable smart card based security solution called PKI over Smart Card. Comprising of a smart card, a smart card terminal (reader/writer), smart card management & administration software and a digital certificate, the solution allows organizations to attribute a unique identity to an individual as well as assigning specified access rights and privileges to secure networks.
"In affect, PKI over Smart Card becomes the user's security pass to the organization's virtual world. It verifies the identity of the user requesting access to a network, it stipulates what he or she can and can not do on that network and it enables other transacting parties to authenticate the user's identity."
"PKI over Smart Card allows users to access secure networks, to secure business communications and transactions, to encrypt email communication and to digitally sign transactions and emails," said Julfar.
According to Comtrust, the solution has already been deployed at a few government entities and financial institutions.
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Comtrust gets 'smart' with PKI
- United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, August 26 - 2003 at 14:04
- PRESS RELEASE
Comtrust, the e-business unit of Etisalat, has unveiled its latest Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) product. Called PKI over smart card, the online authentication solution allows users to utilize the heightened security provided by PKI regardless of time or place.
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Notes and media contacts
About PKI over Smart CardPKI over Smart Card is Comtrust's answer to user authentication especially when business executives are on the move. Through the use of a smart card, users are able to virtually identify themselves anywhere, anytime, enabling access to secure networks as well as allowing secure online communications and transactions.
The solution utilizes two-factor security i.e. it comprises something you know (pin/password) with something you have (smart card). This guards against misuse of the smart card further strengthening security.
Comtrust PKI over smart card solution consists of the following components:
Smart Card - Similar to the smart credit card, it also consists of a data chip allowing multiple digital certificates to be stored. The smart card supports digital certificates with key lengths of up to 1024-bits.
Smart Card Terminal (Reader/Writer) - Supplied as part of the solution, the smart card terminal can be used to perform the read and write functions on the smart card. The terminal is fully compliant with industry standard PC/ C and is highly portable.
Digital Certificate - Based on 128-bit PKI technologies, the X.509 v3 digital user certificate is cornerstone of the solution as it enables strong authentication and secure email (signing/encryption).
Software Application - The software application handles the smart card administration and enables the use of smart card based digital certificates for browsing secure sites, digital certificate based authentication, digital signing and encryption of email communication. Additionally, it also enables digital certificate generation and storage on the smart card, removing certificates from the smart card and browsing the certificates stored on the card.
About Comtrust
Comtrust, the e-solutions business unit of Etisalat (Emirates Telecommunications Corporation - the national telecommunications company of the UAE), is the only comprehensive e-business enabler, providing business and government entities in the Middle East an all-encompassing suite of products and services for their e-initiatives. Utilising its state-of-the-art infrastructure based at data centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a highly skilled technological and managerial taskforce and leveraging its wide-ranging alliances and partnerships, Comtrust offers customers in the Business-to-Business, Business-to-Consumer and e-Government spheres an array of e-business solutions. Comtrust provides services in the fields of eHosting, eRetailing, eSecurity, ePayment, eConsulting and specialised eTraining, backed up by round-the-clock professional technical support. Comtrust specialises in PKI-based online authentication solutions and is the UAE's only Digital Certification Authority. Comtrust is also a regional provider of online credit card authentication technologies meeting the new Verified-by-Visa and MasterCard's SecureCode standards. For more information log onto www.comtrust.ae
Your media contacts for further information
Comtrust - Tania Rozario
Tel: +971 4 202 1205
Hill & Knowlton - Michael Young
Tel: +971 4 3344930
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