Secure Login for Trusted Cloud Services with German electronic identity card using SkIDentity
The German Federal Government's cyber security strategy considers the provision and use of secure electronic identities as an important basis for a sustained success of the digitalisation of the economy: „The electronic identification documents with online identification function are a key element with which the Federal German Government already provides a highly secure and privacy friendly identification option for the internet. The goal is to establish the online identity function, and the secure identities derived from it, as a standard identification tool for sensitive services, and to promote comparable secure solutions in the economy as well.”
Secure authentication of users and administrators is especially important for cloud and web applications. For this reason, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) recommends the use of strong authentication mechanisms based on at least two factors, in its cloud computing, as well as in the cloud computing (C5) catalogue.
SkIDentity enables the use of the German eID card for Trusted Cloud Services
These two factors have been realized by possession of the ID card and the knowledge of a six-digit PIN in the case of the German eID card. Thanks to the multi-award-winning and certified SkIDentity service, the German eID card can now be used to securely log on to the Trusted Cloud Portal, which is run by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) in collaboration with the competence network Trusted Cloud e. V. is available under https://trusted-cloud.de. „Strong authentication and secure identities are key components of trustworthy cloud services“, explains Thomas Niessen, CEO of competence network Trusted Cloud e.V. „The German eID is a highly secure and increasingly widespread that provides an excellent authentication tool for Trusted Cloud Services. We are very pleased that the German eID card can now be used for the secure and efficient registration of Trusted Cloud Services via the SkIDentity service which was developed as part of the Trusted Cloud Technology Program of the BMWi.“
About SkIDentity
The SkIDentity Service has been developed since 2012 with the support of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) within the “Trusted Cloud” initiative, the European Commission and the Bavarian Ministry of Finance by an interdisciplinary team, which is coordinated by ecsec GmbH and comprises experts from ENX Association, Fraunhofer institutes for industrial engineering (IAO) and computer graphics (IGD), OpenLimit SignCubes GmbH, Ruhr University of Bochum, University of Passau, Urospace GmbH and Versicherungswirtschaftlicher Datendienst GmbH. In addition the SkIDentity team is supported by major associations and federations such as the Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media (Bundesverband Informationswirtschaft, Telekommunikation und neue Medien e.V., BITKOM), the German EuroCloud association (EuroCloud Deutschland_eco e.V.), the ProSTEP iViP association and TeleTrusT – IT Security Association Germany and well known enterprises such as DATEV eG, easy Login GmbH, media transfer AG, noris network AG, SAP AG, SiXFORM GmbH, Giesecke & Devrient GmbH and selected chambers of industry and commerce.
About the "Trusted Cloud" Program
The German Federal Ministry for Economic affairs and Energy (BMWi) supports through “Trusted Cloud” the development and testing of innovative, secure and legally valid cloud computing services with about 50 million Euro. Because the various project partners roughly bring in own resources of the same amount, the program has in total about 100 million Euro as its disposal. The “Trusted Cloud” technology program of the BMWi is part of the cloud computing initiative, which has been started by the BMWi in October 2010 together with its industrial and academic partners.
About ecsec GmbH
ecsec GmbH is a specialised provider of innovative solutions in the areas of IT security, smart card technology, identity management and electronic signatures. Based on the long lasting experiences gathered in various smart card projects with international reach ecsec belongs to the leading providers in this area and supports well-known customers during the conception and realisation of tailor-made solutions. Considering the relevant state of science and technology and actual and future international standards, an excellent consulting quality and sustainable customer success is guaranteed.
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Contact:
Dr. Detlef Hühnlein
SkIDentity c/o ecsec GmbH
Sudetenstraße 16
96247 Michelau, Germany
E-Mail: skidentity@ecsec.de
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