Digital signatures ensure the authenticity of Microsoft Office documents exchanged through the Internet and enterprise networks because they validate the signer’s identity and integrity of the information.
Encryption ensures the confidentiality of documents. Both applications ensure the security of documents but their effectiveness depends on keeping the Private Key safe and secure (risk of theft and/or hacking).
The Gemalto Protiva™ solution to the above challenge is to store the private key used for digital signing and for document (de)cryption in a Gemalto .NET (or Gemalto .NET Bio) smart card or a Protiva PKI Token for maximum security and portability - protected by a PIN or fingerprint. Microsoft Office documents (Excel, Word and Outlook) can all be signed with Protiva™ and Outlook emails can moreover be (de)crypted. Finally, it should be noted that there is no need to install any specific software on Windows workstations.
There is the clear benefit in increasing the level of trust and confidence in business exchanges because they know their communications are protected and auditable – plus where-ever the user goes, their identity goes with them. Using the signature and confidentiality possibility clearly separates usual exchanges from sensitive ones and thus reinforces the individual’s responsibility and accountability.
→ Gemalto .NET (or Gemalto .NET Bio) smart cards and/or another Protiva PKI Token.
→ Hybrid Card (contact-less) card bodies for combining physical and logical access (option).
→ DAS software to manage the Gemalto .NET smart cards. Cloud computing in action, DAS is a web based service provided by Gemalto and its partners - the end customer has no software to install or maintain.
Document Security (Signature and Encryption) provides a platform for adding other applications such as Secure Remote Access, and Data Protection (File and Drive Encryption).