AFCEA 2019
Bonn, April 10 - 11
Booth M24 Maritim Hall
Kirchheim near Munich, March 4th, 2019. At the AFCEA trade exhibition, the German IT security company genua will present the new genucard 3, a compact device that enables mobile employees and home offices to connect to classified networks. The device can be easily connected via USB to any laptop or desktop PC and enables access to sensitive data in classified networks via a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Compared with the previous version, genucard 3 offers several advantages: dual-band Wi-Fi for high-performance WLAN connection, authentication via PIN entry directly on the device, and a compact cell phone format. The approval process is currently in progress at the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) for the classification level RESTRICTED.
High-performance WLAN connection with dual-band Wi-Fi
With genucard 3, employees can easily access government or company networks from their home office or while travelling: genucard can be connected to any laptop or PC and creates an encrypted connection (VPN) to the remote station configured in the network. Possible connection routes to choose from are WLAN including public hot spots, mobile telephony, and Ethernet. If multiple overlapping WLANs threaten to interfere with data transmission, genucard 3 uses dual-band Wi-Fi to switch to other frequency ranges. In the near future, public authorities, the German armed forces, and companies operating in the field of classified information will be able to use genucard 3 to ensure that employees have secure access to sensitive classified data even when working remotely: Approval from the BSI for classification level RESTRICTED is pending.
User-friendly two-factor authentication in accordance with BSI standards
Users authenticate themselves for access to sensitive networks on the convenient compact device (approximately 86 x 15 x 161 mm) by using a smart card and entering a PIN via PIN pad. This makes two-factor authentication – a security requirement of the BSI – a user-friendly solution. An additional security feature of genucard is its stand-alone capability, since the solution runs on autonomous hardware with its own operating system. This way, genucard retains its functionality and protects the classified network, even in the event that the connected computer is compromised as a result of careless handling.
Central management means low administration outlay
Administration of genucards in use is carried out by a central management station. As a result, a large number of employees can be connected to classified networks with minimal effort. The German armed forces, government agencies, and security authorities, as well as companies operating in the security sector have been using the previous version of genucard 3 on a large scale for several years.