Novell delivers enhanced security for Norwegian Ministry of Defence

Nsure, Novell`s Secure Identity Management solution has been chosen by the Norwegian Ministry of Defence as the foundation for a new information management system, which grades material as limited, confidential, secret and top secret.

After rigorous testing by the Norwegian National Security Authority (NSA), the independent agency tasked with coordinating the country`s security policy and inspecting existing arrangements within the public sector, Nsure will be implemented across the entire Ministry of Defence organisation. The NSA`s testing procedure encompasses 2 500 criteria and was used by the Ministry of Defence as the basis of its procurement process as it looked for a new information management and communications system.

The Ministry of Defence interacts with a range of audiences including civilians, governmental organisations, and military institutions, and in the current global climate, the confidentiality and privacy of its information is vital. The system needed to validate the integrity of the data, without creating a closed, complex system that hampered external communications and limited productivity.

The Ministry of Defence`s solution is based on two components of Novell`s Nsure, Secure Identity Management solution. Novell Nsure provides a secure framework for identity management, granting employees and partners controlled access to tools and resources based on their job role, responsibility and relationship with the ministry.

Two components of Nsure are being used by the Ministry of Defence - eDirectory and DirXML. eDirectory is a multi platform directory service that consolidates every user`s digital identity so that there is a record of access rights and privileges. Records can be automatically updated when users join the organisation, change job or leave the ministry. DirXML provides a means of exporting this across a range of technology platforms, which was particularly important for the customer as they use a comprehensive range of operating systems including NetWare, Windows, Solaris and Linux.

As a long-term user of Novell products, the Ministry of Defence also deployed elements of the Nterprise solution, a range of managed computing products and services to streamline the running of its network. This included using Novell ZENworks, a systems management tool that allows the IT department to update individual PCs and servers from a central point. Novell NetStorage facilitates the sharing of files across the organisation and integrates neatly with the security technology that has been implanted, ensuring that the right people can access the right information whenever they need it.

Novell Nsure has provided users with easier access to their information through single sign-on, without substantially increasing the workload for administrators. Automated management tools offer the IT department considerable flexibility in managing digital identities so that an employee can be registered once with eDirectory and their profile exported to any application.

"Novell`s One Net vision is to offer genuinely open systems that boast reliability, security and scalability regardless of the operating system. We are proud that our technology meets the exacting requirements of the Ministry of Defence. It would be hard to find an organisation where security is more important and Novell Nsure has proved itself an effective, reliable means of managing digital identities and controlling information access," says Geir Christensen, Director of Novell`s Norwegian office.