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Announcing Symantec PGP Viewer for iOS 

Aug 03, 2011 11:50 PM

One of the most unusual aspects of the Apple iOS devices is the aspect of how user demand is driving enterprise adoption. Even in corporations where the iPad or the iPhone are not a part of the enterprise standard, it’s not unusual to see employees bringing their own devices to work and making it a part of their business life. For example, a sales manager that has an iPad typically wants to take it on a business trip and read their email. This may include weekly sales forecasts, contracts, and customer data. While having this type of information on the go may be convenient, it poses a security concern for the IT organization that now needs to make sure that sensitive corporate data stays protected on an employee’s personal device.

In order to protect the corporate data, it makes sense to use email encryption to protect data en route and resident on a portable device. Encryption protects the privacy of the information by making use of cryptography to ensure that the data is only available to the intended recipient. Cryptography can also apply a digital signature (either in conjunction or in lieu of encryption) to make sure the data is authentic.

Symantec PGP Viewer for iOS helps organizations address data protection for email by providing the means for users to access encrypted data as well as verify a digital signature on an Apple iOS-based device, such as the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. It is an enterprise application, leveraging the PGP Universal Server for central key management and ensuring that organizations can maintain proper controls over the encryption policies and recovery procedures. IT organizations can safely extend access to enterprise email on iOS devices by ensuring that the information stays encrypted no matter where it may go.

Here’s a quick rundown on PGP Viewer for iOS:

There are three basic components:

  1. PGP Universal Server – Provides management of the users and encryption keys. In addition, customers get support for PGP Viewer for iOS through the same support entitlement from PGP Universal Server.
  2. PGP Desktop Email – Provides access to encrypted messages on the desktop.  Keep in mind that mobile email encryption is an end-to-end solution, and thus a message encrypted on a mobile device will be encrypted on the desktop as well. PGP Desktop Email is available for both Mac OS X and Windows.
  3. PGP Viewer for iOS – Application available through the Apple App Store, but requires enrollment through PGP Universal Server for key management.

Enrollment can be done in one of two ways. The easiest way is to have the email administrator provide a configuration file for the user, which can be sent plain text and automatically sets up configuration of the PGP Viewer for iOS application.  The second method is to simply provide the user with the server and authentication information. 

  1. Users continue to receive their email through their iOS Mail application, thus retaining the same user experience.

 

  1. When an encrypted message arrives, the user can click on the attachment and launch the PGP Viewer for iOS application.

  1. PGP Viewer for iOS decrypts the message.  In addition, it has the option of verifying digital signatures.   The message contents are available for review.
  2. Attachments are also available for viewing. The data is also available for use with other applications as well.

 
   

If your company has other mobile platform requirements, keep in mind that Support Package for BlackBerry from Symantec  is available, as well as PGP Mobile to provide access on Microsoft Windows Mobile devices.

There has been a considerable amount of customer demand to provide encryption on iOS, and we’re pleased to announce that PGP Viewer for iOS is available now from the Apple App Store.  If you are using PGP Universal Server for managed email encryption, give the PGP Viewer for iOS a try. It’s a great way to give users what they really want (the ability to use iPad and iPhone with work email) while maintaining the enterprise standards for email security regardless of where the email goes.

                                                                                                                           

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Comments

Nov 23, 2012 02:10 PM

Hello,

When will you support GKM in the iOS viewer? All of our user keys are GKM only on our solution.

 

Thanks,

Sheldon

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