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Press Release |
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VeriSign and Infineon Collaborate To Increase
Usability of Trusted Computing Solutions
Mountain View, CA, USA / Munich, Germany – November 2, 2005 –
VeriSign Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) and Infineon Technologies AG (FSE/NYSE:
IFX), today announced they are jointly working to further extend the
security level of personal computers at home and abroad by collaborating
to increase levels of trusted computing solutions for endusers. Under
terms of the cooperative effort, VeriSign will certify Infineon’s Trusted
Platform Module (TPM) Certification Authority with its Trusted Computing
Root Certification Authority, enabling the secure creation and use of
digital certificates on all computing systems powered by Infineon’s
TPM solution.
To establish
the basis for trustworthy communication and strong authentication, the
Trusted Computing Group has introduced the concept of an Endorsement
Key (EK) certificate as the only way for a TPM to prove its legitimacy.
The EK certificate is an integral component of the Trusted Computing
Environment, containing information that identifies an operating platform
as TPMlegitimate. In the chip manufacturing and production stage, Infineon
will create and digitally sign an EK to confirm the authenticity and
integrity of their TPM. VeriSign will then crosssign the Infineon TPM
Certification Authority with its own Trusted Computing Root Certification
Authority backed by their industry leading and wellestablished Certificate
Policies and Practice Statement.
Additionally,
Infineon will securely embed The VeriSign Class 3 Primary CA certificate
into its TPM 1.2. This will provide a trust anchor for secure authentication
services and encryption for networking applications, as well as a strong
industry wide PKI practice. By doing this, customers using Infineon
TPMenabled systems can maximize the legitimacy of their connection to,
and data received from, another computing platform.
“The secure
use of credentials is a major component of the TCG specifications. The
Endorsement Key Certificate is a crucial component in the RootofTrust
concept, underscoring the need for there to be the highest levels of
trust during its creation and certification,” said Jim Ward, President
of the Trusted Computing Group. "The secure implementation of the
root of trust will be important to future network services."
“The use of
PKIbased digital certificates has become an underpinning of digital
interactions across today’s global, digital networks. People take for
granted how important digital certificates are to encrypting and protecting
sensitive data.” said Nicolas Popp, Vice President, Authentication Services,
VeriSign. “Through our work with Infineon, which will see VeriSign
certificates embedded in the very heart of a computing environment,
we can maximize the legitimacy of operating platforms.”
“Infineon,
as a leading provider of TCG solutions, has put strong emphasis on the
secure handling of key material”, said Thomas Rosteck, Senior Director
and head of the product line Trusted Computing at Infineon Technologies
AG. “The cooperation with VeriSign provides trustworthy use of credentials
which does bring benefits to PC manufacturers, system administrators
and end users.”
Infineon is
the world’s only supplier to offer their own comprehensive hardware
and software solutions compliant with the TCG’s 1.1b and 1.2 specifications.
Its TPM security solution features a secure chip hardware, a complete
suite of embedded security and TPM system management utilities, as well
as application software which simplify data protection through file
and folder encryption protected with hardwarebased key generation and
storage. PC manufacturers benefit from Infineon’s TPM offering since
it secures all core components of a security subsystem used for authenticity,
integrity and confidentiality of data stored.
More information
on Infineon’s TPM solution is available at http://www.infineon.com/tpm
About TCG Specifications
The Trusted Computing Group (TCG), with more than 100 member
companies, is a notforprofit organization formed to develop, define,
and promote open standards for hardwareenabled trusted computing and
security technologies, including hardware building blocks and software
interfaces, across multiple platforms, peripherals, and devices. TCG
specifications will enable more secure computing environments without
compromising functional integrity, privacy, or individual rights. The
primary goal is to help users protect their information assets (data,
passwords, keys, etc.) from compromise due to external software attack
and physical theft.
The Group was
formed as a successor to the Trusted Computing Platform Alliance (TCPA),
which was founded in 1999 by Compaq, HP, IBM, Intel and Microsoft. TCG
has adopted the specifications of TCPA and will both enhance these specifications
and extend the specifications across multiple platforms such as servers,
PDA's, and digital phones. Further information on Trusted Computing
Group (TCG) is available at http://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), operates intelligent infrastructure
services that enable and protect billions of interactions every day
across the world’s voice and data networks. Additional news and information
about the company is available at http://www.verisign.com.
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor
and system solutions for automotive, industrial and multimarket sectors,
for applications in communication, as well as memory products. With
a global presence, Infineon operates through its subsidiaries in the
US from San Jose, CA, in the AsiaPacific region from Singapore and in
Japan from Tokyo. In fiscal year 2004 (ending September), the company
achieved sales of Euro 7.19 billion with about 35,600 employees worldwide.
Infineon is listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information
is available at http://www.infineon.com/tpm.
This news release
is available online at http://www.infineon.com/news
and at http://www.verisign.com.
VeriSign Media Relations contacts:
Brendan Lewis
Phone: +1 6504264470
Email: brlewis@verisign.com
VeriSign Investor Relations contacts:
Tom McCallum
Phone:
+1 6504263744
Email: tmccallum@verisign.com,
Statements
in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute
forwardlooking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities
Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause VeriSign's
actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by
such forwardlooking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties
include, among others, the uncertainty of future revenue and profitability
and potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results due to such
factors as the risk that VeriSign's announced strategic relationships,
including the relationship described herein, may not result in additional
products, services, customers, profits or revenues; and increased competition
and pricing pressures. More information about potential factors that
could affect the company's business and financial results is included
in VeriSign's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including
in the company's Annual Report on Form 10K for the year ended December
31, 2004 and quarterly reports on Form 10Q. VeriSign undertakes no obligation
to update any of the forwardlooking statements after the date of this
press release.
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