CRYPTOCard and AEP Networks Announce Alliance

April 24, 2007; 04:19 AM

London, England and Ottawa, Ontario – CRYPTOCard (www.cryptocard.com), the leading authentication technology developer for heterogeneous environments, has formed an alliance with AEP Networks, the leading vendor of SSL VPN solutions, to make it simple to combine the benefits of highly-secure two-factor user authentication with the simple and flexible remote access capabilities of a SSL VPN. 

By making it simple to seamlessly integrate two distinct purpose-built solutions, CRYPTOCard and AEP Networks provide improved functionality over alternative offerings that utilize less secure methods for implementing a SSL VPN.  In leveraging the extensive knowledge of each others technologies the combined CRYPTOCard/AEP Networks offering meets the rigorous demands of highly-secure networks and IT systems.  The two companies will jointly develop channels to market and collaborate on key customer projects.

“We have already sold the combined solution to a number of our customers, with very pleasing results,” said Willie McKee, Managing Director of Business and Scientific Services Limited, one of Ireland’s leading system integration companies.  “Many of our clients are Government and Public Sector based and so demand the highest possible standards and quality,” McKee continued.  “We have been working with both AEP Networks and CRYPTOCard for some time now and so for us this is a perfect alliance – which we expect will improve an understanding of the benefits and acceptance of more secure SSL VPN offerings.”

SSL VPNs are increasing in popularity as more and more companies look to remote working and flexible working patterns to improve employee effectiveness.  However, although inherently secure, SSL VPNs still suffer from the same access control issues as most IT infrastructures – namely, static passwords are the weakest link.

“Just about every organization that I have ever visited in the past 10 years, including many Fortune 100 companies, have a high percentage of accounts with easily-cracked passwords,” said Jason Hart, CEO, CRYPTOCard Europe, and a former ethical hacker for Ernst & Young.  “The truth is that the sophistication of the increasing number of hackers who infiltrate company networks has far outstripped any advances in system security,” Hart continued.  “As a former ethical hacker I can tell you that it is increasingly simple for unauthorized users to get hold of a user’s credentials, and this means that an SSL VPN or any other security solution that relies on static passwords to authenticate users is extremely vulnerable.”

As well as improving access security for remote workers, the joint offering increases user satisfaction and productivity by removing the need to remember, input, or manage password changes and makes it simple for organizations to comply with new security legislation and privacy laws such as SOX and HSPD-12.

“AEP Network’s SSL VPN meets the industry’s most stringent security standards, such as ICSA TLS and government-level FIPS certification, however offering the very best in network and application access security is only part of the story; there is still one weakness in the security chain – authenticating the user,” said Reggie Best, COO, AEP Networks.  “Incorporating two-factor authentication plugs the security gap caused by static passwords for user authentication – allowing for more secure transactions – and is a fully complementary fit with our SSL VPN products,” Best continued.  “The use of two-factor authentication takes care of the user threat adding yet another level of security to AEP’s flexible working proposition.”

For more information on CRYPTOCard please visit www.cryptocard.com or drop by the CRYPTOCard booth (B182) at Infosecurity Europe from Tuesday, April 24 to Thursday, April 26.

AEP Networks offers a comprehensive Policy Networking solution that provides complete security starting at the endpoints and working throughout a network – from the edge to the core. AEP’s integrated portfolio of security products includes network admission control enforcement points, identity-based application security gateways, SSL VPNs, high assurance IPSec-based VPN encryptors, and hardware security modules for key management. Our products address the most demanding security requirements of public-sector organizations and commercial enterprises internationally. The company is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey, with offices worldwide.