Open Authentication Reference Architecture Announced

The large VeriSign booth at the RSA Conference 2004

During the opening day of the RSA Conference 2004, VeriSign announced the creation of the Open Authentication Reference Architecture (OATH), a new approach to driving the adoption of strong authentication technology. Using open standards, OATH will offer more hardware choices and allow customers to replace existing disparate and proprietary security systems whose complexity often leads to higher costs.

Some of the key benefits of this architecture include:

• Leads to lower costs for authentication devices (chips, tokens, smart cards)
• Simplified validation as a network utility instead of a complex and confusing enterprise responsibility
• Enables best-of-breed solutions through interoperable components
• Allows development of devices which embed multiple authentication methods (One-Time Password , SIM authentication and PKI-based authentication)
• Turns cell phones, PDAs, and laptops into strong authentication devices
• Gives application developers the ability to build connectors for strong authentication using open specifications
• Provides open specifications for strong device and user authentication, enabling easy native support in enterprise applications and identity

management platforms

• Shares device credentials, strong authentication algorithms, and authentication client software across many network end-points (desktop computers, servers, switches, Wi-FI access points, set top boxes-¦)

Current industry support for OATH comes from companies including ActivCard, Aladdin, ARM, Authenex, Aventail, Axalto, BEA Systems, Gemplus, HP, IBM and Rainbow Technologies.