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Mobile and network security specialist AuthenTec launched MatrixDAR for Android, a security offering that provides military-grade encryption to data stored on Google Android-based smartphones and tablets. The platform, which allows Android device manufacturers to add strong encryption that protects data stored on a smartphone or tablet as well as its removable flash drive or SD card, also meets the requirements of Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140 certification, a U.S. government computer security standard used to accredit cryptographic modules.
As organizations increasingly adopt bring your own device (BYOD) programs as employees clamor for smartphones and tablets they can use at home and at work, IT departments are growing worried that data stored on or accessed by these devices could leave sensitive corporate data in a vulnerable position. Matrix DAR gives IT departments the ability to integrate full disk encryption into both the device and its removable storage media. The platform is the newest offering in the company’s suite of security solutions for data-in-transit over SSL and IPSec connections as well as data-at-rest stored on a mobile device.
“Our new MatrixDAR offering gives smartphone and tablet OEMs the ability to easily integrate military-grade FIPS 140-certified encryption into their Android platforms to help meet the strict security policies that address the growth of BYOD,” Simon Blake-Wilson, vice president of AuthenTec’s embedded security solutions division said in a prepared statement. “Only AuthenTec can offer security that ensures encryption of mobile device contents (via MatrixDAR), secures connections for data in transit (via QuickSec VPN security), and protects high-value content (via DRM Fusion) on today’s mobile devices.”
The data encryption offered by MatrixDAR prevents unauthorized access and renders the smartphone or tablet useless if lost or stolen, reducing potential for personal losses and corporate data breaches, and eliminates the need for IT administrators to install separate data encryption software. AuthenTec offers a variety of mobile and network security solutions for handset makers, mobile operators, and rich content providers, including fingerprint sensor hardware, identity management software and embedded security.
The company recently partnered with the world’s largest handset maker, Samsung, to install QuickSec virtual private network (VPN) security for use in Android smartphones and tablets. The client enhances secure communication through an Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) based VPN client which is integrated in Samsung devices and has been tested for interoperability with all major VPN gateways. The platform also comes with a customizable user interface.