Thales and Imprivata Partner to Deliver Highest Level of Cryptographic Security in SSO Market

Thales, leader in information systems and communications security and Imprivata, the #1 independent single sign-on and access management provider, announce that Thales nShield Solo hardware security modules (HSMs) have been integrated into Imprivata OneSign. Imprivata customers that have a requirement to follow high security best practices in the area of encryption and key management now have a one-stop solution to meet their needs.

Designed to protect cryptographic keys and sensitive data in secure hardware, Thales nShield Solo is a tamper-resistant hardware module that is validated to the FIPS 140-2 standard. As a result of this new partnership the Thales nShield HSM is available as an embedded option for customers purchasing the Imprivata OneSign appliance, delivering the highest level of cryptographic security in the market.

"Imprivata has established itself as a leader in the authentication and access management market with an impressive customer base in highly regulated industries such as healthcare, finance and state and local government; markets where the Thales HSM cryptographic solution is particularly valuable,” Says Cynthia Provin, President, Thales e-Security Inc. "We are delighted to play a role in helping Imprivata’s customers demonstrate FIPS-140 compliance around password security and user access requirements and deliver best practice cryptographic security.”

Thales nShield Solo HSMs provide enhanced security to the Imprivata OneSign solution in two important areas. Firstly they protect the SSL/TLS keys used to secure communications to and from the appliance which includes the exchange of authentication credentials with end-users, the sharing of system information between appliances within a cluster and management interfaces with administrators. Secondly the embedded Thales HSM encrypts the internal database of passwords and credentials that are cached on behalf of the user to provide access to the target applications. Together the HSM is used to guard against eavesdropping and physical attacks on the OneSign appliance.

"Thales nShield Solo HSMs provides Imprivata OneSign with a complete system for managing keys that allow our customers to meet FIPS 140-2 compliance for cryptographic security,” says Ed Gaudet, Chief Marketing Officer at Imprivata. "We were able to quickly integrate the Thales hardware into our OneSign appliance and provide a level of cryptographic security that is unmatched by other single sign-on and authentication vendors.”

Visit both Thales (booth #2023) and Imprivata (booth #2520) at the RSA Conference, Moscone Center, San Francisco, February 14-18, 2011

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About Imprivata

Imprivata is the leading independent vendor focused on simplifying and securing user access for healthcare, government, finance and other regulated industries. By strengthening user authentication, streamlining application access and simplifying compliance reporting across multiple computing environments, customers realize improved workflows, increased security and compliance with government regulations.

Imprivata has received numerous product awards and top review ratings from leading industry publications and analysts, including a Strong Positive rating in Gartner’s 2010 ESSO Marketscope, the #1 ranking in the KLAS SSO Performance report and the #1 rating in 2010 Best in KLAS and Category Leaders report. Headquartered in Lexington, Mass., Imprivata partners with over 200 resellers, and serves the access security needs of more than 14,000 customers around the world. For more information, please visit www.imprivata.com or follow us on Twitter at @Imprivata.

Notes to editors

The Information Technology Security activities of Thales
Thales e-Security is a leading global provider of data encryption solutions to the financial services, high technology manufacturing, government and technology sectors. With a 40-year track record of protecting corporate and government information, Thales solutions are used by four of the five largest energy and aerospace companies, 22 NATO countries, and they secure more than 70 percent of worldwide payment transactions. Thales e-Security has offices in France, Hong Kong, Norway, United States and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.thales-esecurity.com

About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Defense, Security and Transportation markets. In 2009, the company generated revenues of 12.9 billion Euros with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners. www.thalesgroup.com

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