Once again, a security incident has the IT world in a tizzy. This time it is several security holes in the widely used mail server Microsoft Exchange that have triggered the disaster. In Germany alone, at least 10,000 Exchange servers were initially affected. Through the aforementioned security holes, an attacker can gain administrator rights on an Exchange server, which gives him access to all emails processed there. According to press reports, a hacker group from China known as Hafnium is said to have used these vulnerabilities for numerous attacks worldwide. It is not yet clear what damage they caused. Meanwhile, Microsoft has provided security updates that are supposed to fix the problem.
In the meantime, it has become known that hafnium has also attacked at least three federal authorities. However, with reference to the welfare of the state, the federal government is still keeping under wraps which institutions these are and what exactly happened. The choice of words alone, however, suggests a serious threat. After all, the term “welfare of the state” has already been used by the Federal Constitutional Court, which ruled in 2009 that this term was linked to “existential security and secret protection concerns” as well as “information requiring secrecy”.
Regardless of this, the Exchange hack and the Hafnium attacks show once again: it is becoming more and more important to reliably protect emails from unauthorised access. Even if the operator of a mail server does everything right, a security gap in the software used can throw a spanner in the works. For confidential data, email encryption is therefore a must. However, an encryption gateway connected to the server, as is used in many places, is often not sufficient. Because if – as in this case – the attacker has access to the mail server, gateway protection is as good as useless. Instead, end-to-end encryption is necessary, which takes place on the client.
A proven client-based email encryption solution that provides end-to-end security is GreenShield from cryptovision. GreenShield is particularly suitable for public authorities that process VS-NfD data. As one of the few email encryption products on the market, GreenShield has the VS-NfD approval required for this purpose.
When it comes to secure email communication in the public authority environment, you are definitely on the safe side with GreenShield.
More than 60 companies have joined cryptovision’s exclusive partner program, club cv, as Members since its launch in June 2020. Covering business areas such as IT Security, Government Identity and IoT, cryptovision’s partner network has completely embraced the concept behind club cv. Now, the next level of engagement is open for business: club cv has officially launched its Partner Levels. These apply to both Volume and Strategy Partners and are available in different tiers.
Partner level companies are our valued resellers, independent soft- and hardware vendors, certified service providers and technology partners, who integrate our products into their solution and vice versa. For current Member level companies, this means that they can get upgraded to Partner Level if the conditions apply.
Also new in January 2021 is the online club cv partner lounge: A protected area for partner to find useful information on upcoming activities, relevant sales forms and contact information. The club cv lounge will be the main platform to find partner-relevant information for both, club cv members and partners. For more information, please visit the club cv website.
Just in time for the turn of the year, cv act sc/interface, cryptovision’s proven smartcard middleware, not only got a new name. SCinterface also convinces with new features: The graphical user interface has been fundamentally optimized and the ease of use has been improved throughout thanks to a uniform, more modern design. With the new version 8.0, cryptovision has further expanded the capabilities of SCinterface in response to current market developments. SCinterface customers can now use the full range of middleware use cases with the latest card operating systems NXP JCOP4, Infineon SECORA™ and ATOS CardOS 5.4 & 5.5. With SCinterface 8.0, the current D-TRUST signature and seal cards for qualified signatures can also be used throughout Europe in compliance with eIDAS. Also new in version 8.0 is support for macOS 11 Big Sur, which has only been available since November 2020. This enables a secure and flexible design of BYOD and enterprise IT concepts.
With SCinterface 8.0, two-factor authentication is easily implemented to connect from the home workstation to the corporate network via a virtual private network (VPN) or to use a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). SCinterface 8.0 works unrivaled with all major smart cards on Windows, Linux and macOS.
About SCinterface
SCinterface middleware integrates smartcards and other security tokens as well as virtual and remote credentials into IT environments. SCinterface acts across platforms and supports more than 100 different smartcards, security tokens and profiles on all major operating systems. There are many useful features including biometrics, highly customizable PIN caching for different security levels, Microsoft Virtual Smart Card and remote token support.
SCinterface is used by numerous customers worldwide in a variety of industries. These include German companies Allianz, Signal Iduna and E.ON, Dutch KPN and SwissSign, among others.
At this year’s SDW Virtual, cryptovision presents its ePasslet Suite V3 on SECORA™ ID X, the new Java Card™ platform from Infineon. With the help of ePasslet Suite, users of SECORA™ ID X will be able to put numerous eID functions into practice easily and flexibly. A presentation will be displayed in the SDW Virtual “Technology Showcase” section.
Cryptovision’s ePasslet Suite on SECORA™ ID X provides applets for various eID document applications, including electronic passports, eIDAS-compliant ID and signature cards, international electronic driver’s licenses, electronic health cards (eHIC), custom national eID cards and more. ePasslet Suite V3 also supports ICAO LDS 2.0, an extension of electronic passports with electronic visas and entry and exit stamps.
In addition, ePasslet Suite on SECORA™ ID X can be freely customized through various configuration options. It can evolve to support new use cases and applications while retaining Common Criteria (CC) certification, thereby enabling multi-application cards and documents.
“We are delighted to have reached a further milestone on our path to offer modular, standard-based eID solutions on all major chip platforms. Government customers across the world will benefit from this broadened portfolio,” states cryptovision’s CEO Markus Hoffmeister.
ePasslet Suite on SECORA™ ID X is being certified according to Common Criteria (CC) EAL 5+. It is available in three editions, offering cost-efficient configurations for standard as well as high-end and customized ID document solutions. Samples of the solution are now available on request.
With Infineon’s SECORA™ ID X as additional platform for ePasslet Suite, cryptovision extends its offering for international eID customers: Infineon’s expertise is based on more than 200 government ID projects that cover more than 75 percent of the world’s population.
Another EU country has introduced an electronic identity card for its citizens. After Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Estonia and several other countries, the Republic of Malta has also been issuing ID documents with a smart card chip since August 2020. The 400,000 citizens of Malta will be equipped with the new document over the next few years, gradually replacing the old ID cards, which will remain valid until the planned expiration date.
The new Maltese ID card is contactless. It complies with European Union requirements and is therefore based on proven data formats. The keys and certificates used are compatible with those used in other countries. Like the electronic passport, which is now in widespread use worldwide, the Maltese identity document also stores biometric features, which means that an ID card can be securely assigned to its owner. In addition to the smartcard chip, the new ID document has various physical security features that make forgery much more difficult. In particular, the name and additional information about the holder are laser-engraved into the document.
In the near future, the Maltese government plans to offer e-government services via the Internet, which citizens can use with the new ID card as identity proof. This requires a card reader on the PC and smart card middleware.
Electronic identity documents are currently experiencing a boom. An electronic ID card is not only more secure, but also and above all enables a multitude of new applications. For example, the issuer can decide to use an electronic identity document for payment, as a health insurance card, for authentication on the Internet, as a driver’s license, as a door key, as a travel document, for digital signing and for age verification – to name just a few examples. In most cases, a secret key is used as a security anchor, which is stored unreadably on the chip and authenticated by a digital certificate.
Electronic ID cards play an important role in making the increasing digitalization secure and reliable. It is therefore to be welcomed that more and more countries are equipping their citizens with such documents.
To learn more about electronic identity card systems, check here.
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