Platform Approach to Proven Security Convergence As approaches for physical and logical access increasingly draw on similar technologies, CIOs seek efficient methods to consolidate these two environments to save money and enhance security. With the evolution of smartcard technology, enterprises can integrate two security environments — physical and logical access — to provide consolidated management, improved ROI and a total security view. Organizations can also deploy a single strong authentication platform to facilitate enrollment, issuance and management, providing further efficiencies. Access Convergence An individual maliciously obtaining sensitive information by circumventing an online access point or a thief walking into an enterprise and taking laptops illustrate the same alarming issue — a major lapse in enterprise security. And regardless of the means used to infiltrate an organization, the damage can be significant. Traditionally, physical and logical access solutions have been the responsibility of two distinct organizations within a company. And each are often managed by two separate administrators and systems. Multipurpose Credentials Securing multiple access points — wireless, VPN, desktops and facilities, for example — by relying on separate, often incompatible solutions is expensive, inconvenient for end-users and difficult for administrators to manage. And legacy solutions are typically tied to different suppliers, vendors or contractors. But advances in smartcard technology have made the convergence of physical access and logical access affordable and simple to deploy. Platform Approach Comprehensive physical and logical access is secured by the use of digital certificates, public key infrastructure (PKI) and a proven strong authentication platform. Entrust is distinct in being able to bring together all of the elements necessary for physical and logical access solutions — on a single software platform — and provide the PKI to issue and manage digital certificates that are deployed to smartcards or USBs and distributed to end-users. And as a U.S. Federal government-approved provider of PIV and PIV-I credentials, Entrust is an expert in the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) standards that industries and enterprises are adopting to govern their authentication strategies. ![]() Versatile Authentication Platform By leveraging the platform approach, organizations can consolidate all authentication processes with a single, proven solution — Entrust IdentityGuard. Whether it’s a smartcard for physical/logical access or a unique grid card for strong authentication to a VPN, Entrust IdentityGuard is one of the most versatile authentication platforms available. It allows organizations to deploy the right authenticator to different user groups based on the amount of associated risk, access requirements, unique user needs and cost. The platform, which offers one of the widest ranges of authenticators on the market, easily integrates with existing environments and minimizes the impact of security on employees, customers and partners. And integration with Entrust’s PKI enables standalone or smartcard-based digital certificates to be used for other enterprise needs, including strong authentication, encryption or digital signatures. Solution Benefits • Enables convergence of security for facilities, remote users, desktops and applications • Improves efficiency by using a single strong authentication platform for enrollment, issuance and management • Tailored for enterprise and government environments • Supported by Entrust’s expertise in certificates and strong authentication • Platform approach provides versatility as access requirements change and business drivers evolve • Provides single platform to issue and manage certificates for smartcards • Powered by award-winning Entrust IdentityGuard and Entrust Authority PKI technology ![]() Contact Us |