Copenhagen Business School First in the World to Issue Digital Signatures to Students and Employees; Protect Data to Provide 20,000 Digital Signatures From Entrust Technologies

Business Wire, Jan 11, 2001

Business Editors

STOCKHOLM, Sweden--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 11, 2001

Protect Data makes Copenhagen Business School the first educational institution in the world to issue digital signatures to all students, scientists and employees.

Protect Data will build a security infrastructure based on products from Entrust Technologies that will ensure secure communications over the Internet for all of Copenhagen Business School's 20 000 users.

Copenhagen Business School (CBS) will, as the first educational institution in the world, make digital signatures an integrated part of the studies as well as the administration.

"We have an educational agenda in creating a study environment that will keep Denmark as one of the most technological advanced countries in the world. The digital signatures are not a goal in itself, but it is creating a wide range of possibilities. We are looking forward to taking advantage of them," project leader at CBS Annie Stahel explains.

Some of the possibilities of CBS in the future are digital document management and access to confidential information, assignment delivering via e-mail and the establishing of portals with personal profiles for the students, employees and others. The digital signature also opens the possibility of establishing remote access to all services, which makes both employees and students physically independent of CBS. The goal is that students shall have the same secure, personal digital possibilities from an Internet cafe, a foreign university, or from home, that they have from a workstation at the school.

Copenhagen Business School is Denmark's second largest institution of education with 14.000 students, 1000 scientists and employees and 1500 external teachers. In 1998 CBS was one of nine pilot projects on digital signatures, initiated by the Danish Ministry of Research. CBS built a structure around products from Entrust Technologies, the world's leading provider of digital signatures. The pilot project, which was a great success, was accomplished together with Protect Data. The pilot is used as base for the expansion, which will ensure all CBS students and employees a digital signature.

"The Danish media has lately talked a lot about the stagnation of digital signatures," Protect Data A/S's Managing Director Stuart Peters says. "I think the CBS solution is one of several indicators that disproves this.

It is going to be very exiting to follow the market throughout the next year. I predict that the digital signature will become both extremely essential and wide spread in the Danish market in the very near future."

"We are seeing an increase in the use of digital signatures in Denmark and our deals with Copenhagen Business School and recently with Tele Denmark are major break-throughs for Protect Data in Denmark. The fact that Protect Data is participating in the construction of digital security structures on the Danish market is of course very exciting and also proves our expertise in this area, said Carl Rosvall, CEO for Protect Data AB.

Protect Data AB is a Group that offers IT security solutions for major companies and organizations. The company offers anti-virus systems, firewalls, user identification systems, secure VPNs, content control and systems for secure transactions. The subsidiary Pointsec Mobile Technologies develops access-controlling and encrypting systems for desk- top and portable computers, palmtop computers and smart phones. The subsidiary Protect Data Konsult tailors security solutions, which increase clients' competitiveness and business. Protect Data is the market leader in its business area in the Nordic region and has subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia and the USA. Protect Data is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange Attract 40-list. Visit our website at: www.protectdata.com

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