January 3, 2012

Mesa Rugged Notepad Vetted for Authentication Suite

Juniper Systems’ Mesa Rugged Notepad has passed all testing and validation procedures, and is in full integration with the Apriva Authentication Suite. The two companies now can market a solution they say protects government and enterprise customers against data incursions.

The Mesa Rugged Notepad uses the Windows Mobile operating system, and it offers a fairly large screen and as much as 16 hours of battery life. According to security vendor Apriva, its Authentication Suite combines three key components to deliver a secure access environment to the device: the Apriva Reader, a wearable Bluetooth smart-card reader that securely accesses authentication data stored on a Common Access Card (CAC) or other ISO 7816 based ID card; the Apriva Guard that locks down the Mesa Rugged Notepad until proper authentication is achieved through the Apriva Reader; and Apriva CSPware, an AES 256 encryption engine that helps ensure “the highest level of encryption of data transmitted outside the Mesa Rugged Notepad,” it claims.



“Providing multi-factor user authentication and access is one of the most important — but least understood — aspects of network security. This is particularly true with handheld devices that are designed for use in the field,” notes James Lawrence, Apriva’s vice president/Product Management. “It is critical to ensure that any lost or misplaced device does not allow unauthorized access to sensitive networks or information.”