Key Management
Platform key management is a crucial part of any smartcard lifecycle, ensuring the security of the product is not compromised. The MULTOS security architecture has been the benchmark in the industry for making that aspect not only the most secure, but also the easiest and most flexible to implement – reducing the efforts for perso bureau operations to manage the various smartcard keys from each provider. This key management also unlocks the issuer/bureau from their card vendor provider, removing any requirement to share keys or lock products until the personalisation stage.
MULTOS KMA (Key Management Authority)
This is the centralised KMA that operates the global MULTOS key management. This is a cloud-based service that can be used for MULTOS devices. The service is Issuer account-based and allows that issuer to choose their preferred perso bureau operation (also allows the issuer to use any card embedder).
Access to this service is via either a standard web interface called StepXpress, or via a web-services API for any machine-controlled environments.
Control Centre (For batch processing)
This is was the first key management utility developed for our MULTOS step/one platform, to be installed and operated at the perso bureau (or issuer controlled if so desired). This solution has now been upgraded and now called “C3”.
Control Centre Connected (C3)
C3 is an advanced key management utility that extends the standard operation offered by Control Centre, to offer perso system vendors and perso bureau operations to fully integrate the key management aspect of MULTOS or MULTOS step/one products. The solution is installed in the perso bureau and can be either operated in stand-alone mode, or can be driven by the perso system via a services interface – allowing Real-Time Enablement (RTE) of the devices. This is the first time a smartcard product can be taken from generic ‘vanilla’ device to a locked, loaded and issuance-ready device in a single step.
C3 is compatible with:
- All our SC4 range of MULTOS step/one devices
- All our MC4 and ML4 range of MULTOS products from P17-series and above