Pointsec and Entrust protect 60,000 at Göteborg University
Göteborg University gets a strong authentication solution to protect student and faculty records with Entrust IdentityGuard
STOCKHOLM, Sweden – July 10, 2006 - In order to protect records from 60,000 students and faculty, and to ensure that those records only could be accessed by the appropriate parties, Göteborg University plans to implement IdentityGuard from Entrust, represented by Pointsec in the Nordic countries. Entrust IdentityGuard is a cost effective and user friendly solution with a second factor authentication. The order was recognized as revenue during the first quarter of 2006.
"We wanted an authentication solution that would provide strong security but also be easy to use for our students and faculty and also be economical to manage," said Sven-Elof Kristenson, IT manager at Göteborg University. "Because we can combine the Entrust IdentityGuard's grid authentication piece with the identity cards we already issue to our students and faculty at the beginning of the school term, it fit seamlessly into our existing system and will give us the ability to make even more services available online for everyone."
The university chose the Entrust IdentityGuard because it offered unprecedented flexibility. Because Entrust IdentityGuard's grid authentication piece can be used to access records administration, file storage, reports, e-mail and calendar functions, it was a natural choice for stronger authentication. Ease of integration and usability also were factors that led to the decision to implement Entrust IdentityGuard.
"Göteborg University paves the way for other similar organizations that wants to be open and keep a tight security at the same time", said Thomas Bill, CEO of Protect Data. "The university is one of the largest in the region with many users. That demands a scalable solution such as Entrust IdentityGuard. It's also easy to use and manage, which is a key factor if you want to have a cost effective security solution."
"Universities have the unique challenge of wanting to be an open forum for the educational process to flourish, but they also are charged to keep some of the most sensitive information on students," said Entrust Senior Vice President Kevin Simzer. "Göteborg University recognized they could offer stronger authentication through adding the Entrust IdentityGuard grid solution to an existing ID card. They definitely get bonus points to thinking ahead and being proactive when it comes to offering more services to their students and faculty online but doing it in a way that is secure."
Göteborg University has about 51,000 students and 5,500 employees. It is one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. With its eight faculties and approximately sixty departments, Göteborg University is also the most wide-ranging and versatile university in Sweden, offering unique opportunities for cooperation and development.
About Entrust IdentityGuard
Entrust IdentityGuard provides a simple method of authenticating users by deploying random grids of characters that are in turn used to answer a challenge presented when accessing on-line services. By requiring different combinations from the grid to answer each randomized challenge, attackers have little probability of being able to intercept a login and subsequently use it to gain access to a user's account. Implementing the Entrust IdentityGuard system is made easier for customers by working with their existing applications to add incremental authentication requirements to existing username and password deployments. More information on Entrust IdentityGuard is available at: www.entrust.com/identityguard/index.htm.
About Pointsec
Pointsec is the worldwide de facto standard for mobile device security – with the most customers deployed, highest level of certification and more complete device coverage than any other company. Pointsec delivers a trusted solution for automatic data encryption that guarantees proven protection at the most vulnerable point where sensitive enterprise data is stored – on mobile devices. By securing sensitive information stored on laptops, PDAs, smartphones, and removable media, enterprises and government organizations can protect and enhance their image, minimize risk, shield confidential data, guard information assets, and strengthen public and shareholder confidence. Pointsec's customers include blue chip companies and government organizations around the world. Founded in 1988, Pointsec Mobile Technologies AB is a wholly owned subsidiary of Protect Data AB, publicly traded (PROT) on the Stockholm stock exchange. The company has two U.S. offices, nine EMEA offices, two APAC offices and one branch office in Dubai, Middle East. Pointsec can be found on the web at: www.pointsec.com.
About Entrust
Entrust, Inc. [NASDAQ: ENTU] is a world leader in securing digital identities and information. Over 1,400 enterprises and government agencies in more than 50 countries use Entrust solutions to help secure the digital lives of their citizens, customers, employees and partners. Our proven software and services can help customers in achieving regulatory and corporate compliance, while helping to turn security challenges such as identity theft and e-mail security into business opportunities. For more information on how Entrust can help secure your digital life, please visit: www.entrust.com.
Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust, Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. In Canada, Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust Limited. All Entrust product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Entrust, Inc. or Entrust Limited. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.