Gemalto makes strong mobile PKI a reality

Gemalto, the digital security provider, has announced the availability of SafeNet MobilePKI, designed to enable strong public key infrastructure (PKI)-based authentication and security applications on any device, including those without a USB port or internal reader.  Strong PKI implementations had previously required ports or readers.

SafeNet MobilePKI uses Bluetooth Smart technology to enable mobile devices to communicate securely with PKI smart cards, extending the use of existing PKI credentials to iOS, Android and Windows devices. Pairing detection takes place automatically within a 10m range.

"As mobility becomes increasingly paramount to the success of enterprises, the requirements for secure devices for authentication and digital signatures are becoming greater," said François Lasnier, Senior Vice President for Identity Protection at Gemalto. "The SafeNet MobilePKI solution solves the gap of PKI security on mobile devices. It gives users much more confidence, convenience and mobility by allowing their organisation to extend their existing strong public key cryptography authentication and credentials to mobile devices."

Development kits furthermore allow independent software vendors and certificate authorities (CAs) to extend current PKI solutions to mobile devices, and develop new solutions specifically for mobile environments. In order to ensure the best results, Gemalto works closely with technology partners, software developers, OEM partners, CAs and enterprises who want to use SafeNet MobilePKI and develop their own mobile applications.

"Strong authentication and encryption have become a critical component of an overall data protection strategy," said Garrett Bekker, Senior Security Analyst at 451 Research. "With the growth of mobility and adoption of cloud-based applications, it has become clear that organisations need to protect these applications, however they are accessed. PKI can help address mobile use cases, though user complexity can also be a challenge for broad adoption. However, new developments in mobile technology and Bluetooth are helping make PKI more user-friendly and attractive for mobile workforces."