“nCipher HSMs offered the capabilities, integration, and key management we needed. We made the right choice. Today, all our high-security solutions incorporate nCipher.”

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UTI Systems delivers HSM-enabled solutions to government, telecommunications, and financial organizations with nCipher.

Security-conscious organizations demand secure systems

Based in Bucharest, Romania, UTI Systems is one of Romania’s oldest and largest information technology service providers. In 2002, UTI began building a public key infrastructure (PKI) for a government ministry using a UTI certification authority software solution called certSAFE.

The ministry planned to use the PKI to secure email and to encrypt documents exchanged between operational personnel in the field. The system was also intended to support digital signatures and data encryption on field workstations. To be successful, the PKI needed to flawlessly and securely authenticate users’ access to workstations and applications.

UTI’s software delivered the PKI certificate management capabilities the ministry needed. But to ensure the security and integrity of the trusted system, UTI and the ministry wanted hardware-based key protection, digital signatures, and encryption. UTI began evaluating the hardware security modules (HSMs) on the market to find the best option.

“There was no question that HSMs could provide more secure digital certificate management, encryption, and key management than software,” says Ionut Florea, a security consultant with certSIGN, a UTI company. “Our challenge was to find the right HSM and partner.”

nCipher nShield: The right HSM

UTI evaluated the HSM options on the market, taking several factors into consideration. Firstly, the HSM needed to protect digital certificate management and encryption processes from internal and external breaches. UTI also wanted an HSM that integrated easily with its PKI solution and its clients’ IT environments. And finally, the HSM had to include efficient key management. The nCipher nShield HSM emerged as the clear choice.

Mr. Florea explains, “nCipher HSMs offered the capabilities, integration, and key management needed to secure the ministry’s PKI. We made the right choice to protect our client’s highly sensitive information. Today, all our high-security solutions incorporate nCipher.”

A new level of security

The ministry’s PKI was successful in enabling the secure exchange of critical information. In fact, it was so successful that the ministry has since implemented similar PKIs to support other critical operational systems.

Today, UTI has implemented more than 40 nCipher nShield HSMs for its clients. nCipher nShield provides a secure execution environment for UTI’s applications, which means the applications run within the secure HSM, safeguarding critical process from server misuse or compromise. It also protects, stores, and manages encryption and certificate signing keys in a tamper-resistant hardware environment.

Valentin Necoara, a security product engineer with certSIGN, points to key protection as one of the significant benefits of nCipher HSMs. He says, “nCipher nShield offers excellent key protection. With it, our clients control access to keys with smart cards and secure administration. This ensures the integrity of the entire PKI, its users, and protected data.”

Speed and support

To implement an nCipher nShield as part of a PKI solution, UTI begins by integrating the HSM with its application and the client’s hardware. Then UTI trains the client’s security operators and administrators to use the HSM to manage keys. When UTI has questions, its staff calls nCipher Support for assistance.

“Implementing the nCipher nShield is easy for us, and the HSM is easy for our clients to use,” says Mr. Florea. “It only takes a few hours to deploy. Upgrades are even faster.”

“Occasionally, a client’s IT environment will include unfamiliar technology,” says Mihai Togan, a developer with certSIGN. “When we have questions, we contact nCipher Support. We have always received prompt help. nCipher Support staff have understood and answered our questions in a thorough and timely manner.”

Flawless security and expanded opportunities

As clients from a range of industries become more aware of the need to protect data and process, UTI is expanding its encryption offerings—and its use of nCipher technology.

“When we need HSMs, we only use nCipher,” says Mr. Florea. “nCipher protects our clients’ data without fail. Our clients continue to be successful with nCipher solutions, and the consistent performance of nCipher products and services have contributed to our achievements.”

Mr. Necoara adds, “We are expanding our offerings to include secure solutions for email and electronic invoicing. nCipher is an important part of our new initiatives. We trust nCipher to be the right partner for our further technological development.”

Company Profile

UTI Systems delivers security solutions and more to clients in Eastern Europe. certSIGN is the UTI company responsible for the development and implementation of UTI’s PKI applications, which serve many of the most security-conscious organizations in Romania, including governmental, banking and telecommunications organizations.

certSIGN also acts as Certificate Service Provider issuing digital certificates, including qualified certificates, and offers end-to-end security solutions.

UTI:

• Employs more than 1,500 people
• Projects revenues of €450 million in 2010
• Holds NATO security clearance
• Serves clients from eight offices throughout Romania

To learn more about UTI and certSIGN, visit www.uti.ro and www.certsign.ro.

For more information about nCipher products and services, visit www.ncipher.com.