As enterprises look to move to mobile credential access across their locations, they now require the most secure, interoperable, and open standard credentials, as well as the ability to scale deployment fast across multiple buildings globally.
The idea of key security is becoming increasingly vital when looking at mobile credential software to follow robust enterprise security standards and compliance measures that are set.
Traditionally credentials followed symmetric encryption standards, now asymmetric cryptography has become a feature of credentials set out by frameworks like Public Key Open Credential (PKOC). The cryptography used for key sharing, symmetric or asymmetric, directly impacts security, interoperability, and long-term scalability of credentials.
Understanding these key differences will help enterprises implement the most effective and future-proof solution.
Challenges of symmetric encryption for mobile access control
Previously, the majority of access control solutions have issued proprietary symmetric key pairs for their credentials. Symmetric cryptographic keys have to be shared in a secure manner for authentication of the credential to be complete. Symmetric encryption relies on a single symmetric key shared to encrypt and decrypt data.
While effective in certain applications, it presents significant challenges when applied to mobile access control systems:
- Vendor Lock-in: If the credentialing solution uses symmetric encryption, a single secret key must be securely shared with manufacturers presenting security risks and extra license fees.
- Security Risks: Key sharing introduces inherent security risks. Every entity that has access to the key represents a potential vulnerability, increasing the risk of unauthorized credential access or leaked identity data.
- Limited Control: Even if the key provider claims to have an open policy, they ultimately control who can access their system. This means customers are locked into a single vendor’s ecosystem, which may not align with your business objectives or theirs.
- Recurring Costs: Many access control manufacturers using symmetric keys impose ongoing licensing or usage fees, adding unnecessary extra costs over time.
Cater for customer flexibility demands with asymmetric key encryption
Asymmetric encryption offers a superior alternative for enterprises looking to implement truly interoperable and secure credentials. With asymmetric encryption, a credential uses a public-private key pair, where:
- The private key remains securely stored in the mobile device’s, Android or iOS, secure hardware element and is never shared.
- The public key can be freely distributed and used across multiple systems without security concerns. The public key essentially becomes the badge number.
The credential user has full ownership of the encryption keys, eliminating the need for complex or proprietary key management and sharing processes required by symmetric key solutions.
Here are some of the reasons why you should think more about the encryption standards of your credentials and consider an asymmetric key set.
- Enhanced security: No entity has access to the private key, eliminating risks associated with key sharing.
- Seamless interoperability: Public keys can be used across multiple devices, systems, and applications allowing enterprises to implement a truly open and flexible solution.
- Freedom from vendor lock-in: By adopting an open standard you can integrate mobile credentials without reliance on a single provider.
Cost-effective scalability: Asymmetric encryption offered by the likes of PKOC eliminates licensing constraints and recurring key-sharing costs, providing a scalable, future-proof solution.
Innovative asymmetric encrypted mobile credentialing solutions
Companies like Sentry Interactive have developed their mobile credential software based on the Public Key Open Credential (PKOC) framework, pioneering asymmetric cryptography for their mobile credentialing software provided to access control OEMs. With Sentry Interactive’s SDK integration, access control manufacturers can offer mobile credentials that are truly interoperable, follow the highest security levels, and can be rolled out at scale for enterprises. The interoperability enabled by public-private key cryptography allows mobile credentials to be securely used across multiple systems and third-party applications, giving enterprises greater flexibility and freedom of choice. By leveraging Sentry Interactive’s secure open standard mobile credential software, that removes the need for reader hardware upgrades, enterprises can now achieve an adaptable, cost-effective, and secure mobile credential solution, without proprietary restrictions and security risks.
If you are looking to deploy a secure, cost-effective, and scalable path to asymmetric encrypted mobile access across your enterprise, get in touch to learn how you can accelerate implementation while maintaining full control over your access control ecosystem.
Get in touch today to integrate open standard mobile credentials that are secured with asymmetric cryptography.
