Johannesburg, 05 Dec 2016
South African original design manufacturer Parsec has announced its innovative cryptographic security devices have completed the evaluation phase and are now in the final stage of FIPS 140-2 certification process.
Parsec, a specialist in defence solutions and crypto-based information security products, has submitted its HSID5000 device to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certification, to give defence, government and enterprise clients the assurance that the device meets international best practice. The FIPS 140-2 standard is an IT security accreditation programme for cryptographic modules for use in government departments and regulated industries.
"Reaching this advanced stage required stringent quality checks and controls, which has taken us a few years," reports Stephen Robson, security product manager at Parsec. "This is a major milestone for us, and we hope to achieve the certification by early next year," he says.
Early customers are already trialling the HSID5000 abroad, and Jaco Botha, senior product manager at Parsec, expects to see local and sub-Saharan African uptake picking up next year.
Parsec's new HSID5000 solutions are USB-based devices that are a combination of an encrypted flash drive and PKI smart card and smart card reader, in one convenient package. The multifunctional hybrid tokens generate one-time PINS to support authentication, enable encryption of digital correspondence, verification and advanced digital signatures, and have an encrypted storage partition. Because the encryption keys are within a protected envelope on the USB hardware itself, and never on the PC, they are not vulnerable to attack.
Parsec notes the devices are suitable for use as a hardware security module in applications that require highly secure key generation, storage and management.
The HSID5000 family of solutions offer defence, government and enterprise customers an advanced hybrid approach to data protection, along with the assurance that they have been developed by a trusted South African firm in line with international gold standards. Parsec follows stringent development quality processes and controls within high security development and manufacturing environments, as well as submitting its products for independent quality verification to meet the highest possible security and quality standards.
Tobie van Loggerenberg, director of Parsec, notes the protection of confidential information is critically important in several sectors, making Parsec's HSID5000 applicable across multiple industry verticals. "In addition to government and defence, where data sovereignty and national security is the highest priority, we envisage strong uptake in financial and legal services, where encryption and advanced electronic signatures will become increasingly important," he says. "For example, in the legal fraternity, advanced electronic signatures generated using the HSID5000 can stand up in court as valid; while lawyers and their clients will also be able to use the devices to encrypt and exchange confidential case information."
Botha says while the first HSID5000 is designed to satisfy the demands of the defence sector, Parsec plans to expand its security portfolio in future to include solutions appropriate for mid-size and smaller businesses as well as individual consumer use.
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