SPYRUS demonstrates pocketsize PKI system
SPYRUS announced that it will demonstrate its PocketCA complete Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) certificate system for Linux operating systems at the Red Hat Summit 2008. PocketCA is an implementation of the “Dogtag” open source project, a collection of technologies from Red Hat that enables enterprises to deploy PKI on a large scale. PocketCA puts the entire PKI system in a pocketsize trusted hardware-based security device from SPYRUS that boots on any computer, significantly reducing the complexity of deployment.
SPYRUS used its Hydra PC Digital Attaché hardware-based USB encryption device to rapidly develop the new PocketCA. The PocketCA will be used to boot from an unencrypted read-only compartment on its 8GB microSD memory card to begin the start-up process of the PKI system. The Linux operating system, directory services, certificate services, critical applications and sensitive data components are always protected on a sector-based encrypted compartment located on the same 8GB microSD memory card. The CA administrator must log on to the encrypted compartment before any PKI services can run. No connectivity to a network or the Internet is required to use PocketCA, but when a connection is available, PocketCA can synchronize the pertinent data with the appropriate directories and databases.
Before PocketCA, many complex technologies and product components had to be integrated to deploy enterprise-class PKI systems for certificate issuance, revocation, directory integration, and smart card or USB token support. For over a decade, SPYRUS customers with critical infrastructure in law enforcement, government and enterprise markets have relied on its Microsoft Windows-based PKI products. To develop the PocketCA, SPYRUS used the Linux open source community, and specifically the Dogtag Certificate System project, to continue its record of innovation in the area of identity management and hardware-based security solutions. The PocketCA implementation of Dogtag is one of a suite of SPYRUS products targeted to meet an increasing demand for Linux-based solutions in the government and private sectors.