Fortezza
Fortezza is a security technology designed to enforce data integrity, originator authentication, non-repudiation, and cofidentiality. Fortezza personalizes security through and individualzized cryptographic device, a PC Card called the Fortezza Crypto Card (the Card). The Card contains the user's unique cryptographic key material and related information,and executes the cryptologic algorithms. A sophisticated infrastructure has been designed to generate, distribute, and control the crytographic keys, control the integrity of the data on the Card, and disseminate required cryptographic and system information. Fortezza interfaces and specifications are designed with an "open system" philosophy. This permits seamless integration of the Fortezza technology into most data communication hardware platforms, operating systems, software application packages, and computer network configurations and protocols.
Fortezza used asymmetric cryptography. This is better known as "Public Key Cryptogray". As specified in our DS420 class, each user has a public key and a private key. The public key value is mathematically derived from the private key value. Asymmetric cryptography is used in the Card for digital signatures and key exchanges. For the transmission of a message, The following steps are taken:
1) The sender A creates a message.
2) The sender A applies the hash function to the message giving the message a hash value.
3) The sender finally signs the hash message using the hash value, the private key, and a random number (generated internally by the Card).
4) The receiver B, performs the hash function on the message.
5) B then uses the hash value, and A's public key.
Fortezza, with the Card and the supporting software, provides the developer with a flexible, modular, security "tool-kit". This method provides the basic four security attributes, data integrity, user authentication, user non-repudiation, and data confidentiality. The data integrity attribute indicates the data has been processed by both the originator and the recipient, through a "Hash" function. The data in the message are read through a mathematical algorithm which uses every bit in the message to form a uniformly size string of bits unique to that message. Any change in the message, even a single bit, will cause the recipient's Hash value to differ from the sender's Hash value. To provide integrity over the Hash value, a method to secure the value and verify the originator of the Hash function required. This requires the message to have the user authentication attribute. User authentication assures the recipient of the originator's identity by cryptographically processing the data with an algorithm which incorporates parameters unique to the originator. Non-repudiation is a condition whereby the author of the data cannot repudiate the validity of the result used to authenticate the identity of that user. Confidentiality provides data privacy by encrypting and decrypting data, whereby only the intended recipient can read a message.
Here are more sites and information about the sites that relate to fortezza! This is a PC card support group that has several pages of information posted about PC Cards, PC card readers, and other commercially available PC Card interfaces. www.armadillo.huntsville.al.us
This website introduces the Fortezza Crypto Card, the enabling technologies, common messaging protocols, important technical terms, and various application possibilities. This is a good on! www.western-data.com/fortezza/overview/b4doc1.htm
This is Xencorp, a subsidiary of Rainbow Technologies, in conjunction with a government program, the Fortezza Cryto Card provides security ofr e-mail, voice communications, and files. Crypto Function Name Description Length Standard Public Key Exchange KEA Key Exchange Algorithm 160-Bit Private. XENCORP
This site has information about the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA), commercial and National Security Agency PC Cards, and info on many commercially available PC Card interfaces. The FORTEZZA PC-Card Homeport