SecureIDNews | Securing Macs with smart cards in a Windows environment

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

As government agencies and corporations embrace Macs, software lets CAC, FIPS 201 and .NET cards secure login via Active Directory

Making Mac computers work in a Windows world has never been easy. But as more private-sector companies and U.S. government agencies add Macs into their environment, there’s a growing need for tools that enable them to operate easily and securely in a PC world. The challenges are particularly difficult in Windows-centric environments with heightened security requirements, such as the need to enforce two-factor authentication via smart cards in order to log in to a personal computer.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Centrify Corp. offers a solution that enables IT administrators to leverage the same management tools and security policies for Macs that they have for Windows users, says David McNeely, director of product management at Centrify.

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Windows 8 will synch passwords

Microsoft’s Windows 8 will include a feature called Live ID that will enable a user to store any password and then sync it across all other trusted Windows 8 machines, according to a report on theverge.com. Since the Live ID is the only password the user will have to remember, other passwords can be set to long, complex, and unique values that would be otherwise difficult to remember.

Malware attacks smart cards

A variant of malware called Sykipot is circulating that purportedly enables it to hijack U.S. Defense Department Common Access Cards and Windows smart cards, according to Alien Vault Labs. This variant, which appears to have been put together in March 2011, has been seen in dozens of attack samples from the past year.

NFC-enabled Nokia Windows phone in the works

Nokia is developing a Windows Phone model that can connect to other devices and charge wirelessly via NFC, Nokia design chief Marko Ahtisaari has revealed to the Guardian.

Audio from December 7 IAB meeting online now

The December meeting of the influential Government Smart Card Interagency Advisory Board (IAB) was recently held in Washington D.C. FIPS201.com was on hand to cover the event and has provided, as a service to the IAB and the smart card community, an audio recording of the presentations. Click on the link below to access a list of audio and accompanying PowerPoint slides (in pdf format).

Easier, better identitiy on the horizon

By Jon Callas, CTO, Entrust

One of the most exciting things that will happen in the next year or two is the confluence of a few major trends. It’s exciting because, together, they promise to make security and identity better and more manageable than it has been in the past.

Microsoft mandates NFC mark on Windows 8 devices

Microsoft is requiring that all NFC-enabled PC’s and tablets running on the Windows 8 operating system be marked with a special NFC insignia, according to NFC Times.

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Securing Macs with smart cards in a Windows environment

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