Protiva Technical Overview
Network access is expanding exponentially and so does the potential for unauthorized access
Gemalto | 13 February 2007, 14:00 | Security | View Preview
Today however, most organizations require only a user name and password for authentication and access to their networks. This practice makes them susceptible to hacking, server attacks and online identity theft. Gartner has estimated the total cost of online identity theft to be over $12 Billion annually. In addition, these unfortunate events can create significant financial losses and legal liabilities. Strong authentication systems address the limitations of static passwords by providing an additional level of personal identity protection. The two most commonly deployed types of strong authentication solutions are two factor and mutual authentication. Microprocessor-based smart cards have several advantages for both authentication methods, including data storage capacity, processing power, portability and ease of use.
Protiva is a strong authentication platform that was developed to incorporate the strengths of Gemalto’s smart card technology. It consists of a family of smart-card based user authentication devices, a browser plug-in, an authentication and customer care server and a self-service user care portal.
Organizations can deploy Protiva for secure user authentication and implement more comprehensive identity protection and network security solutions without being forced to abandon infrastructure investments or change end-user devices. The Protiva platform can be used for One-time Password applications and then expanded to support mutual authentication, PKI, and the smart card-based security features in Microsoft’s Windows and .NET platforms.
