CertiPath Names PKI Expert Russ Housley as Policy Chair

HERNDON, Va., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- CertiPath, the trusted leader in identity credentialing, has appointed renowned public key infrastructure (PKI) expert Russ Housley to the position of Policy Management Authority (PMA) Chair.

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As chair, Housley will preside over all PMA activity, setting and maintaining policies and driving consensus on a wide range of security issues affecting the CertiPath community. As CertiPath continues to develop innovative services and solutions that help members reduce the risk of doing business online with customers and partners, Housley will be the principle force in ensuring that standards are met and maintaining the continued integrity that the community has come to expect from CertiPath.

"The PMA Chair plays a vital role in the company and we're very excited that Russ has agreed to join us," said Jeff Nigriny, CertiPath president. "His expertise and passion for the potential of PKI in meeting the real-world challenges of our members will significantly enhance the value we bring to the community."

The CertiPath PKI Bridge combines software, encryption technologies and services to establish cross-enterprise trusted "identities." It allows members to trust each other's identities and conduct business with the assurance that they're following a common set of policies and procedures; as the connection to the U.S. Federal Bridge, its members can also do business with federal agencies, including the Dept. of Defense. CertiPath members include BAE Systems, Boeing, EADS, Lockheed Martin, Northrop-Grumman and Raytheon.

For 15 years, Housley has been a driving force in all aspects of PKI, including security issues, policies, and standards. He co-authored the defining tome on the topic, "Planning for PKI: Best Practices Guide for Deploying PKI Infrastructure," with Tim Polk, of NIST. Housley also serves as chair of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), where his considerable accomplishments include helping to develop Internet standards for privacy and security.

"CertiPath represents the potential that PKI can deliver by improving the way electronic business gets done securely and efficiently," said Housley. "I'm very pleased to have this opportunity to contribute to the everyday use of PKI by such a large community, leveraging my experience and my longstanding passion."

About CertiPath

CertiPath provides the aerospace and defense industry's only public key infrastructure (PKI)-based communications bridge where information can be shared widely, securely, effectively and affordably between partners, suppliers and customers -- regardless of the size and scope of the supply chain.

CertiPath's solution tears down the burdensome and costly company, employee and program-centric approaches to identity assurance.  Today, organizations in the U.S., U.K. and Europe including Boeing, BAE Systems, EADS, Lockheed Martin, Northrop-Grumman, Raytheon and the U.S. Federal Bridge (FBCA) are members of this fast-growing community.  For more information, visit CertiPath on the web at http://www.certipath.com

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SOURCE CertiPath