CRYPTOCard Announces the First Secure Password Technology System for the Mac OS X.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

KANATA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 2001

CRYPTOCard, (www.cryptocard.com) the innovative leader in 'Secure Password Technology', announces the first positive user authentication system for the Mac OS X platform.

CRYPTOAdmin 5.16, the technology that won the "Best of Show - Security" award at Comdex 2001, now secures Apple's Macintosh with the introduction of the Mac ST-1 soft token for OS X.

With the marked escalation in Internet use and Internet breaches in today's business environment, organizations must address the very real concerns of Internet and Intranet privacy. CRYPTOAdmin 5.16 is the first strong user authentication technology to enable organizations running on a Mac environment to positively identify each user attempting system access. The CRYPTOAdmin Server positively identifies each user attempting access by generating a unique and unpredictable one-time 'Secure Password.' The 'Secure Password' is only valid for the current logon attempt, and is immediately discarded after use - making it useless to hackers.

Recognized at Comdex for its seamless web integration, CRYPTOCard's Secure Password Technology insulates the Mac user from the complexity of traditional strong authentication approaches. The user simply enters the randomly-generated Secure Password, into their computer, to gain secure access from any location. The process remains the same whether logging on remotely via dialup, ISDN, or the Internet. The result: An extremely high level of security for the Macintosh environment that's easy to use, and accessible from any browser, anywhere.

"As our win at Comdex underscores, organization's realize that a traditional 'username + static-password' schema no longer provides adequate protection" commented Malcolm MacTaggart, President & CEO, CRYPTOCard Corp. "Static passwords are a relic of the 50's, and don't provide the protection and security required in the 21st century. Obviously, an organization cannot guarantee system security if it cannot identify each individual user," explained MacTaggart. "Until now, an organization utilizing the Mac OS X operating system could not positively authenticate each individual attempting web-based access," MacTaggart continued. "CRYPTOCard has made user-friendly high-level Secure Password Technology an easy and cost-effective reality for the Macintosh environment."

Ideal for today's dispersed workforce, CRYPTOCard's Mac ST-1 software token technology can be issued locally or remotely, depending on the situation or the organization's security policy. The ST-1 soft token makes it easy for authorized Mac users (OS 9.x or OS X) to access the system via LAN, remote, or web-server access, and enables administrators to instantly identify any users attempting network access from any location. Remote users can connect through firewall, RAS/NAS, or VPN.

CRYPTOCard's versatility enables organizations running on a Macintosh environment to customize security to meet their security policy requirements for network access. Administrators can restrict individual user access to specified Internet areas by limiting a particular tokens network clearance. Also, as the tokens are revocable at any time, organizations can distribute to large user populations, Intranet partners or others requiring temporary network access.

CRYPTOAdmin 5.16, and the Mac ST-1 soft token, will ship on December 5th. Pricing for CRYPTOAdmin starts at $2,495. The retail price for the Mac ST-1 soft token is $59.

About CRYPTOCard

Established in 1989, CRYPTOCard provides cost-effective Secure Password Technology to leading enterprises worldwide in the government, technology, aerospace, financial, telecommunications, and healthcare sectors. The CRYPTOCard system positively authenticates a network user's identity by coupling something in the user's possession (a smart card, hardware token, or software token), with something the user knows (a PIN). CRYPTOCard's versatile Secure Password Technology provides centralized authentication for all network access regardless of network infrastructure or user location, and eliminates the need for static passwords. For additional information on CRYPTOCard, visit www.cryptocard.com.

CRYPTOCard, CRYPTOAdmin, and the SC-1 CRYPTOCard Smart Card are trademarks of CRYPTOCard Corporation. Other products mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.