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G&D launches the Mobile Security Card VE 2.0

Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is introducing a new microSD card to prevent cellphone tapping. The Mobile Security Card VE 2.0 contains a cryptocontroller which encrypts cell phone conversations and securely authenticates the user.

Thanks to keys that are up to 521 bits long, based on elliptical curves, this cryptocard makes strong authentication possible on cellphones and smartphones. The microSD card, which is inserted in the cellphone, was developed by Giesecke & Devrient Secure Flash Solutions (G&D SFS), a joint venture of G&D and Phison Electronics.

VE stands for voice edition, and the new Mobile Security Card VE 2.0, which fits into the microSD slot in cellphones and smartphones, was designed especially for companies wishing to protect themselves from attempts to tap cellphone conversations. The cryptocard’s hardware meets the Common Criteria EAL 5+ security standard, and the Secure Voice Card uses two-factor authentication: to confirm their identity, users need not only the card itself but also the appropriate PIN.

The longer an encryption algorithm’s key is, the harder it is to crack. What makes the Mobile Security Card VE 2.0 stand out is the record speed with which it calculates keys, which are up to 521 bits long and based on elliptical curves, and carries out the associated exchange of keys. “Thanks to its 521-bit key, the Mobile Security Card VE 2.0 guarantees strong authentication and as a result it offers a considerable level of security. The market has never seen anything like this product,” states Marcus Rosin, MD of G&D SFS.

A key size of 521 bits in elliptical curve cryptography offers the same level of security as a 15 360-bit key in RSA cryptography. It also makes full use of the security capacity offered by the AES 256 mode for symmetric encryption as well as by Digest SHA-512, which means the Mobile Security Card VE 2.0 offers the strongest security in the market for the microSD form factor.

The Mobile Security Card VE 2.0 has a 2 GB memory and is supported by the Windows Mobile, Blackberry, Symbian, Android, and Linux mobile operating system platforms. G&D is aiming this card at the Secure Voice market, where for instance system integrators will be able to offer mobile telephony with the option of protection against tapping.

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