General Dynamics To Provide Digital Certificates for Defense Department Contractors

Business Wire, May 22, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

NEEDHAM, Mass--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2000

Up to 300,000 Certificates Could be Issued in Program

That Will Expand DoD Use Of Electronic Commerce

General Dynamics Communication Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been named an accredited vendor to supply digital certificates to Department of Defense contractors through a program that expands the DoD's use of electronic commerce. Digital certificates are electronic credentials that allow secure communication over the Internet.

As many as 300,000 users could obtain digital certificates from General Dynamics through this effort, called the Interim External Certificate Authority (IECA) program. The IECA program is a critical component in the DoD's effort to convert from manual contracting processes and costly private network-based processes to more cost-effective, widely available solutions using the public Internet.

"IECA services will help fill a critical need in our evolving Information Assurance strategy by enabling us to securely and reliably communicate with our contractor and vendor community over the Internet and other public media," said R. Michael Green, director of the DoD Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Program Management Office.

General Dynamics will provide digital certificate management and directory services for government trading partners in selected DoD programs, including Defense Messaging System (DMS)/Medium Grade Services, Electronic Document Access, Defense Travel System and Wide Area Work Flow.

"We're delighted to be an External Certificate Authority for the DoD," said Sandra Wheeler, business development manager for network security solutions within General Dynamics. "We feel that our services under this program will further the goals of the government in providing its trading partners a more cost-effective, secure, paperless environment that will be timely and easy to use."

General Dynamics will provide Class 3 certificates to DoD contractors. The Class 3 certificates can be obtained either via in-person registration or authentication - or contractors can register online with a follow-up letter verifying identity. Class 3 service is for medium-value data in low to medium risk environments and requires a software token. For more information on certificate offerings and pricing, visit the General Dynamics IECA website at www.gd-cs.com/ieca. General Dynamics is involved with a variety of pilot projects within the government, providing systems engineering, training and help desk support with digital certificates.

General Dynamics has teamed with Baltimore Technologies to provide an interoperable, scalable and secure method of managing digital certificates for the government project.

About General Dynamics Communication Systems

General Dynamics Communication Systems has more than 25 years of experience in providing integrated security solutions to protect the information communicated on the networks it builds and operates. Communication Systems provides a number of Web-based security products and services including public key infrastructure, certification authorities, access control and firewall management. More information about General Dynamics Communication Systems is available on the Web at www.gd-cs.com.

About General Dynamics

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 43,000 people worldwide and has annual sales of approximately $10 billion. The company has leading market positions in business aviation, information systems, shipbuilding, marine systems and land and amphibious combat systems.