CardMan(R) Chipcard Reader Released by Microsoft; Utimaco's Smartcard Reader Receives World's First PC/SC Certificate

    OBERURSEL, Germany, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Developed by Utimaco, the
 CardMan Smartcard reader is the first world-wide to obtain Microsoft's
 PC/SC certificate.  It is the only chipcard reader on Microsoft's Hardware
 Compatibility List with the logo "designed for Windows 95/98/NT."
     CardMan supports the plug & play capabilities of Windows 95/98 and NT 5.0
 as well as the ISO 7816 standard.  The CardMan has already been certified at
 E2 security level according to the ITSEC (Information Technology Security
 Evaluation Criteria) standards.  This was effected with consideration to the
 German Signature Law.
     "With this PC/SC Certificate we have again demonstrated our cutting edge
 world-wide in the smart card technology for IT security systems,"
 says Kurt Schmid, head of development at Utimaco Safeware AG.  PC/SC
 (Personal Computer/SmartCard) was developed, by Microsoft, among others, to
 standardize the integration of chipcards and chipcard readers into Windows
 32-Bit operating systems.  The CardMan chipcard reader is connected to the
 serial port, so that no external power source is necessary.  CardMan is also
 available in PCMCIA format or integrated into a keyboard.  An USB version is
 presently in development and will be available later this year.
     PC/SC-compatible integration is effected through a so-called IFD
 (Interface Device Driver), which can be downloaded from the Utimaco homepage
 (http://www.utimaco.com/smartcard/cmifd.zip).  The chipcard reader can be
 addressed from applications using Microsoft Smart Card Base Components.  These
 can also be downloaded, in this case from the Microsoft website
 (http://www.microsoft.com/smartcard).  These components are also available on
 the Windows 98 CD.
     Based on the above components, Utimaco supplies a CardMan-API with which
 chipcard cryptographic functions can be addressed.  This makes it possible to
 use intelligent chipcards for authentication, key management and digital
 signature at a high level of security.
     With increasing security demands in the IT market, the demand for smart
 card based solutions is also increasing.  Smart cards enable secure
 authentication based on the knowledge (PIN or password) and possession (card)
 principle.  They are also suitable for storing certificates and encryption
 keys securely.  Smart cards with an integrated crypto-processor can implement
 cryptographic functions directly on the card, for example a digital signature,
 so that the keys never leave the smart card.  This eliminates any possibility
 of the key falling into the wrong hands.
     Within Utimaco's SafeGuard product range CardMan supports the
 implementation of chipcards in the following areas of application: Electronic
 Commerce (digital signature), Access Control and Internet Security.  Thus the
 smart card can be used for logon to NT or Novell servers (SafeGuard Advanced
 Security), for digital signatures in applications such as Outlook, Exchange,
 Word, Lotus Notes, etc. (SafeGuard Sign&Crypt) and for GSS-API based
 authentication and encryption on the Internet (SafeGuard VPN).
     Utimaco Safeware AG specializes in the development and implementation of
 IT security solutions in the area of notebooks and desktops (authentication,
 access control, encryption), networks (authentication, encryption) and
 e-Commerce (digital signature, encryption).
     The product range covers standard security systems such as toolkits and
 APIs for realizing customized security projects.  With more than 1.3 million
 licenses sold world-wide and more than 1,000 customers, Utimaco is one of the
 internationally leading suppliers of IT security systems.
 
 

SOURCE  Utimaco Safeware AG