FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Credentica Releases Software Product for User-Centric Identity Management
Credentica’s U-Prove™ software product enables organizations to
protect identity-related information with unprecedented security throughout its
lifecycle, wherever it may travel, while at the same time enabling critical
privacy functions. It has been designed to meet data protection requirements in
Government Online, Electronic Health Record management, cross-domain enterprise
identity and access management, and Trusted Computing.
MONTREAL, Canada – February 13, 2007 – Credentica, a Montreal-based provider of innovative security
software for identity and access management, today announced the immediate
availability of its U-Prove product for
user-centric identity management. The U-Prove product enables organizations to
protect identity-related information with unprecedented security throughout its
lifecycle, wherever it may travel. It is tailor-made for online user
authentication that must withstand phishing attacks, for sharing identity
information across disparate domains, and for creating the digital equivalent
of the cards in one’s wallet.
At the same time, the U-Prove product enables critical privacy
functions. For example, it enables online users to seamlessly authenticate to
any number of sites without giving rise to unwanted profiling or surveillance
capabilities, to transfer data between unlinked accounts, and to store
digitally signed audit trails that prove the transactions they engaged
in. These functions have been specifically designed to meet data protection
requirements in Government Online, Electronic Health Record management, cross-domain enterprise identity and access management, and Trusted Computing.
“The success of large-scale
information technology initiatives depends critically upon their public
acceptance and use. In order for this to occur, the public must have confidence
and trust in the data privacy and security claims being made,”
said Dr. Ann Cavoukian, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario,
Canada. “Credentica’s innovative
U-Prove product promises to do this by giving users the ability to minimize the
collection and use of their personal data in online transactions, and to
maintain control of their identities. I applaud Credentica for their commitment
to privacy and security and hope that their success inspires other technology
developers to follow a similar privacy path.”
The need for innovative data-level security technologies for identity and
access management is rapidly growing. With more and more identity-related
information traveling across organizational boundaries, perimeter security
technologies such as firewalls are decreasing in relevance while identity theft
and privacy invasions are exploding.
“The U-Prove product leads
an emerging category of technology that will move the industry forward
substantially on issues of identification and privacy,” said Mike
Neuenschwander, Vice President and Research Director at Burton Group,
“Credentica’s technology
embodies many of the concepts that Burton Group analysts have forwarded, such
as direct storage and control over personal information and sharing information
without revealing source data (see identityblog.burtongroup.com). This
release of the U-Prove product empowers developers to find reliable solutions
to pressing, but complicated problems of trust across federated
environments.”
The U-Prove product can be used to enhance the protection and the flow of
identity-related information in frameworks such as SAML, Liberty ID-WSF, and
Windows CardSpace.
“Deployment of standards-based
identity and assertion frameworks on the web is rapidly increasing across
government, education, and industry. It’s critical that we as technologists,
however well-intentioned, understand the social and privacy implications of
these technologies before they lead to unintended consequences.”
said Scott Cantor, security architect at Ohio State University in Columbus and
an author of OpenSAML and the Shibboleth federated identity
system. “The exciting technology in
the U-Prove product has the potential to move these standards forward with
powerful new privacy and security capabilities that could drive adoption
higher, and make the online experience not only more capable but immeasurably
safer.”
In addition to providing innovative software-only protection measures, the
U-Prove product enables organizations to efficiently leverage the presence of
client-side trusted modules, such as Trusted Computing chips and smart
cards. An unlimited supply of identity-related assertions can efficiently be
bound over open networks to constrained trusted modules without creating any
privacy-invasive powers in them; this solves an open problem that has held back
the adoption of Trusted Computing.
“The challenge of designing
practical security technologies for identity and access management that do not
erode privacy has preoccupied cryptographers for several decades,”
said Dr. Stefan Brands, president of
Credentica. “The cryptographic
engine technology in our U-Prove product has been taught at many leading
technical universities since the mid nineties, has been subjected to intense
scrutiny by the world’s top cryptographers, and has been live-tested by
major industry players.”
As part of the product release Credentica’s web site www.credentica.com has undergone a major revision.
Credentica will demonstrate the U-Prove product and its application to
Government Online on February 15 and 16 in industry booth #15 at the 8th Annual
Privacy and Security Conference and Exposition in Victoria, British Columbia
(see http://www.rebootconference.com/privacy2007/agenda.php). Demonstrations
will be given every hour on both days, on the hour. In addition, Dr. Brands
will give a keynote presentation in the morning of February 15 and will
participate later that same day in two panels on identity and
authentication.
About Credentica:
Credentica provides innovative software products to protect identity-related
information in Internet, mobile, and smart-card applications. Our products
leverage patented cryptographic technology to provide multi-party security,
scalability, and privacy. We work in collaboration with independent software
vendors, systems integrators, and equipment manufacturers to ensure smooth
product integration. We also provide specialized consultancy services. Please
visit www.credentica.com for more information.
Credentica and U-Prove are trademarks or registered trademarks of Credentica
Inc. All other goods and/or services mentioned herein are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Contact:
Christian Paquin
+1.514.866.6000
Email Mr. Paquin
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