SCM Microsystems, TC TrustCenter and cv cryptovision Launch Digital Signature Solution

The new solution, PublicOnline Box, combines smart cards, PC-connected secure readers with PIN pads and public key-based digital signatures to enable the confidential exchange of certified identities and binding transaction information via the Internet. PublicOnline Box was developed in accordance with the requirements of administrative processes and the specifications of the BSI (German Federal Office for Information Security). PublicOnline Box combines the expertise of the three companies to deliver an end-to-end consumer solution for online eGovernment transactions. SCM, the leader in security-oriented smart card readers, provides the CHIPDRIVE pinpad reader, which is certified for Common Criteria and allows PIN pad entry of user identification codes for enhanced security. TC TrustCenter, the accredited German certification authority, provides certificates for advanced digital signatures. The cryptographic specialist, cv cryptovision, adds the necessary technology for email encryption. PublicOnline Box contains all hardware and software needed to provide secure digital communication for five workstations. A foundation of trust starts with confidence in the identity of individuals. Once an authority has verified an identity, the identity can be stored on a smart card along with public keys used to verify the identity of the sender and authenticate transactions. The role of the new PublicOnline Box solution is to extend that trust to online transactions and provide a way to use those identities and security keys from standard PCs. The public keys and digital signatures ensure the integrity of identities and transactions. An electronic signature can prove the author?s identity just as reliably as a physical signature. It confirms online transactions and proves that e-mails and attachments were actually sent and were not subsequently altered.