RSA Expands E-Commerce Security Lineup

RSA Security Inc. (Nasdaq: RSAS) announced a licensing agreement on Monday with mobile security solutions provider Certicom to incorporate desktop-to-server e-commerce security development tools into its products.

Under the terms of the agreement — which builds upon an earlier product-driven alliance — RSA will use the Certicom SSL Plus toolkit in its products, including the RSA PKI (public key infrastructure) — based Keon 5.0 certificate management product line.

PKI solutions provide e-commerce operations with online certification for authenticated, confidential communications and transactions.

Certicom’s SSL Plus toolkit was designed for developers creating e-commerce security solutions. The SSL Plus toolkit is used by such companies as Intuit, Lotus, Oracle and Sun for a range of products.

Lending a Crypto Engine to the e-Auctioneers, RSA recently struck a deal with OpenSite Technologies, Inc. to provide encryption technology for a commercial software line that enables e-commerce operations to conduct online auctions.

RSA’s BSAFE Crypto-C software package will be integrated into the OpenSite AuctionNow and OpenSite Dynamic Pricing Toolkit products, enabling sites to encrypt customer data before storing it in database files.

“We are happy to be working with OpenSite in offering its dynamic commerce customers the strength of RSA Security’s industry-leading encryption technology,” commented Scott Schnell, RSA senior vice president of marketing. “The combination of our security solution with OpenSite’s leading software and services is intended to create greater opportunities for online retailers in implementing successful dynamic commerce sites.”

RSA’s BSAFE Crypto-C is a cryptography engine that provides software developers tools to build authentication and encryption features into e-commerce and other applications. The software is designed to support digital certificates and signatures.

Auction e-House Now

OpenSite’s AuctionNow package is designed to allow users — such as service providers — to add turnkey online auctions to their e-commerce operation. The package provides businesses with implementation options, customization and support.

OpenSite’s suite of software and services are designed to enable online auctions and other forms of dynamic commerce. The company boasts an installed base of more than 400 customer sites.

News of the Crypto

In other online security-related news, a U.S. appeals court panel in San Francisco, California announced last week that they plan to review a previous decision that restricted the exportation of encryption technology. The move comes on the heels of the Clinton administration’s revised crypto export policy.

The case that the panel will be reviewing involves free speech issues and a computer programmer who posted an encryption program’s source code for anyone to download from the Internet. In light of the new administration policy, the programmer requested a clarification of the case.

RSA expressed support for the Clinton administration’s easing of export controls for encryption technologies. The new regulations will open access to the international marketplace for companies like RSA by lifting many of the current export restrictions on products containing data scrambling technologies.

“The growth of e-business is eliminating borders around the world and these new regulations recognize that U.S. companies need strong security to deliver competitive products and services in this emerging global market,” commented Chuck Stuckey, chairman of RSA.

RSA Security, Inc. specializes in the manufacture of products that assist organizations to build secure foundations for e-commerce.