SMART CARD ALLIANCE 2012 GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE, WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Threats to sensitive data, regulatory mandates, and moves to more public cloud-based IT systems have global organizations seeking new ways to strongly authenticate identities prior to granting access to computer networks, systems and applications. The Smart Card Alliance Access Control Council explains how smart cards can fill enterprise, healthcare, financial, and transit organizations' need for identity management and security in a new white paper released today, "Strong Authentication Using Smart Card Technology for Logical Access."
The white paper is available for free download at http://www.smartcardalliance.org/pages/publications-strong-authentication-using-smart-card-technology-for-logical-access.
"With data breaches occurring daily, the ability to prove identity - that someone is who they say they are when they access networks and systems - is more important than ever. The white paper explains how organizations can go beyond a weak username-password approach and implement more secure, strong authentication methods," said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. "It is an ideal read for organizations currently weighing their authentication options, and shows how a smart card used in combination with one or more authentication tokens can significantly strengthen IT access security, prevent intrusions, and help meet regulatory requirements."
In the white paper, the Access Control Council explains identity proofing, the options available for organizations to implement multiple factors of authentication, how smart card technology fits into a strong authentication platform, authentication applications supported by smart cards, and specific smart card use cases by industry. Readers will come away with an understanding of the following benefits of smart cards:
-- Smart card technology securely supports all of the authentication tokens, storing password files, PKI certificates, one-time password seed files, and biometric image templates, as well as generating asymmetric key pairs.
-- The technology provides the flexibility for including all authentication tokens in a single physical device, improving the security and privacy of the overall authentication process.
-- Smart cards can be used for authentication for both physical and logical access.
-- Smart card technology supports a variety of applications used by organizations, including Windows logon, password management, one-time passwords (OTP), VPN authentication, e-mail and data encryption, electronic signatures, enterprise single sign-on, secure wireless network logon, biometric authentication, personal data storage, role-based access, and secure physical access.
Identity and authentication topics are on the agenda this week through November 29 at the Smart Card Alliance 11th Annual Government Conference in Washington, DC. For more information, visit http://www.govsmartID.com.
White Paper Participants
Participants involved in the development of this white paper included: AMAG Technology; Consult Hyperion; Damalas LLC; Gemalto; HID Global; HP Enterprise Services; IDentification Technology Partners; Identive Group; IDmachines; IQ Devices; NagraID Security; NXP Semiconductors; Oberthur Technologies; Roehr Consulting; SAIC; U.S. Department of Defense/Defense Manpower Data Center; U.S. Department of State.
About the Access Control Council
The Smart Card Alliance Access Control Council is focused on accelerating the widespread acceptance, use, and application of smart card technology for physical and logical access control. The group brings together, in an open forum, leading users and technologists from both the public and private sectors and works on activities that are important to the access control community and that will help expand smart card technology adoption in this important market.
About the Smart Card Alliance
The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association working to stimulate the understanding, adoption, use and widespread application of smart card technology.
Through specific projects such as education programs, market research, advocacy, industry relations and open forums, the Alliance keeps its members connected to industry leaders and innovative thought. The Alliance is the single industry voice for smart cards, leading industry discussion on the impact and value of smart cards in the U.S. and Latin America. For more information please visit http://www.smartcardalliance.org.
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