Vodafone Germany has announced that it is to offer SIM card-based end-to-end mobile communications encryption to public sector and corporate customers. The move is aimed at providing organisations with a means of protecting sensitive data as mobile working becomes more prevalent.
The Secure SIM Data service allows users to encrypt data for emails, documents, data carriers and VPN connections using a pin and a digital signature before sending it. The recipient can decrypt the data using the same pin. By using a pin and corresponding signature, the need for additional hardware is avoided.
Secure SIM Data uses S/MIME encryption for email exchanges and PGP encryption is planned. The service can also be used to encrypt storage devices such as USB sticks or hard drives, ensuring that employees can keep data secure when travelling even in the event of a device being lost or stolen.
Effective protection
"We created Vodafone Secure SIM Data as a simple, cost-efficient and above all secure value-added service based on the Vodafone SIM card for the telecommunications group's corporate customers," said Carsten Ahrens, Group Senior Vice President of Vodafone Germany's Server Software and Services division. "It regulates access to sensitive data while also protecting mobile data communication effectively against attack."
The Secure SIM Data technology is provided by Giesecke & Devrient. It is being demonstrated this week at the CeBIT show in Hannover with a Windows 8-based Lenovo notebook.