VeriSign unveils platform for national public key infrastructure

VeriSign announced a new platform designed to meet the needs of governments looking to implement and manage their own Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

The new PKI Platform is an in-premise solution modeled after the same PKI architecture that VeriSign has deployed as a managed service for customers around the world.

The VeriSign PKI Platform gives governments a way to offer citizens fast and easy access to e-services such as health and welfare programs, e-passports, and national ID programs. PKI plays a critical role in e-government by allowing countries to leverage authentication, encryption, and digital signature technologies when issuing identity certificates, business certificates, and device certificates. The trust enabled by these certificates helps governments streamline operations, minimize the risk of fraud and waste, and disseminate information more easily and securely.

Governments can manage their own certificates, with end-to-end control over millions of end user digital certificates on a global scale. VeriSign also supports deployment of PKI applications and strong authentication using smart cards across major Web browsers and platforms — an advantage for governments aiming to simplify high-volume delivery of PKI digital certificates and applications via smart cards.

The solution also is designed to make it easy for governments to deploy today and to expand their use of PKI, adding new devices and services without having to redesign their PKI architecture.