VeriSign Unveils National Public Key Infrastructure Platform

VeriSign announced a new platform specifically designed for governments to implement and manage their own Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). The new VeriSign PKI Platform is an in-premise solution modeled after the same PKI architecture that VeriSign has deployed as a managed service for thousands of customers around the world. This deployment model allows governments throughout Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East to adapt to specialized security requirements that may be placed on such critical national infrastructure.

The VeriSign PKI Platform gives governments a way to offer citizens fast and easy access to e-services such as health and welfare programs, e-passports, and national ID programs. PKI plays a critical role in e-government by allowing countries to leverage authentication, encryption, and digital signature technologies when issuing identity certificates, business certificates, and device certificates. The trust enabled by these certificates helps governments streamline operations, minimize the risk of fraud and waste, and disseminate information more easily and securely.

"By implementing strong authentication, encryption, and digital signature technologies, governments can significantly reduce the risk of forgery, theft, or abuse of identification credentials," said Phil D'Angio, director of business development at VeriSign. "The VeriSign® PKI Platform leverages a decade of PKI leadership to deliver a solution that meets the needs of governments today and well into the future. Governments around the world can rely on this new platform to help improve availability and security of government transactions, but we think it is equally important that users can leverage their credentials with non-government service providers like banks, social networks, and in e-commerce. We help drive that cross-over use case and value proposition through our extensive industry partnerships."