ViSCa

The ViSCa, “Virtual Machine for SmartCard/USIM”, concept is a holistic approach that comprises a centralised management utility for a secure (enterprise) single-sign-on system. A Trusted VM (Virtual Machine) for SmartCard in the cloud should be instantiated at the connected device by a secure connection only when the user has been authenticated. The main ViSCa objective is to provide a ubiquitous multidevice platform for the deployment of services that require a strong security protocol, both in the access/authentication and execution of its applications. In this sense, ViSCa offers full interoperability and full access from any user device without lacking security. The concept prevents possible attacks by third parties, guaranteeing the confidentiality of personal data, bank accounts or private information. Compared to existing approaches, management is simplified as the interface of trusted components in the cloud is identical to the one of smartcards as physical trust anchors. This new concept proposed might entail a clear benefit to end users, aimed to increase confidence in new services that require the sharing of confidential data. We therefore anticipate an increasing use of this group of innovative services, enabling their extension and related market activity.