The Hindu Business Line : Stay ahead of lock-breakers

"The whole authentication process works on three factors: what you know, user name and password, what you have, eToken, and what you are - your natural and physical features."

Shailendra Sahasrabudhe

The digital world has opened up new vistas of opportunity for software developers, content producers and publishers. There is now just a single degree of separation between the producer and the market. But the very openness and easy access to products has also created a host of new problems, foremost among them being piracy. In this scenario, protection of digital assets has become a key factor in determining the financial health of such companies.

For 20 years, the Israel-headquartered Aladdin Knowledge Systems has been working with the aim of "securing the global village" by providing solutions to companies seeking such protection.

"Software piracy impacts software publishers by preventing them from realising all of the licensing revenue from the use of their software products," says Shailendra Sahasrabudhe, India Country Manager.

Speaking to eWorld on a wide range of issues, he says that Aladdin is "dedicated to providing security services and solutions to protect digital assets, enable secure business and maximise the benefits from creating, selling, distributing and using digital content."

Israel has maintained its status in the digital worldmap as a cradle of entrepreneurship and innovation. Sahasrabudhe believes that "early emphasis on computer education in schools and colleges and a conducive atmosphere for true entrepreneurship have generated many startups in Israel. Look at the network security domain - Israel-based companies are the leaders."

The company was founded in 1985 and is a market leader in the software digital rights management and enterprise security spaces.

"Our reputation is built on a comprehensive line of products satisfying the security needs of organisations that operate in a world where fast and secure information accessibility is a necessity."

He adds that since the company functions as a protector of licensing, it always needs to be ahead of lock-breakers. "We have been doing that for long. HASP is been identified as the most trusted product to protect licences."

The company's flagship products - eToken, HASP and eSafe - are deployed in a host of organisations, from Fortune 100 corporations and Governments to major financial and educational institutions, since more and more content and activity is shifting to the online platform, where security has emerged as a crucial element.

In India, Aladdin has won deals from Punjab National Bank (for eToken) and CIITE, a national-level nodal agency focusing on IT education throughout the country, which has zeroed in on the company's eSafe product for its mission to offer new and advanced e-learning opportunities.

The PNB move is aimed at protecting sensitive bank and customer data accessed by its employees. Elaborating on the deal, Sahasrabudhe says: "PNB provides a wide spectrum of services requiring powerful user authentication. eToken initially protects access to four key bank processes, including its Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) solution."

He adds that the company has priced eToken and eSafe in India keeping "market realities" in mind. "The average life of a token is about five years and has almost zero maintenance cost."

How does the token work? "The whole authentication process works on three factors: what you know, i.e., user name and password, what you have, i.e., eToken, and what you are - your natural and physical features."

When these three factors are proved simultaneously, the authentication process is complete. The third factor has been included because it is required in some sensitive areas.

For CIITE, it has deployed eSafe, a high-capacity, strong content security solution that provides a transparent shield from threats and enhances productivity. In addition, the company has provided a complete Aladdin Content Security Course - a set of IT security training DVDs that will be used during instruction throughout CIITE institutes.

"These supply students with hours of DVD instruction by Aladdin experts who offer discussions of enterprise security fundamentals, implementations and challenges. CIITE students will be able to buy a complete DVD set of the course for personal use."

Since such tools have wide-ranging applications in different governance initiatives, Mr Sahasrabudhe feels the Government should allow import of tokens at zero duty. "It's the identity of every individual. Currently the duty component is about 23 per cent, which is on the higher side."

One of Aladdin's key offerings is HASP, a revenue-enabling comprehensive solution suite meeting all protection and licensing needs of a software publisher.

"It provides strong copy protection, IP protection and secure licensing. It comes with hardware- and software-based protection options."

Has installing Aladdin's technology actually helped a company shore up revenues? "Yes. An example is Internet Gold, an ISP provider in Israel, which launched secure surfing services in 2006. The company decided to install eSafe, which resulted in increase of revenues."

Going beyond the online platform, Aladdin also serves the mobile market through the eSafe MCSG, which, Sahasrabudhe says, places a gateway between the Internet and the cellular provider's network.

"Every smart-phone that connects to the cellular provider's network receives MMS messages and browses the Internet after traffic is inspected by eSafe MCSG. Its multilayered security approach provides protection against mobile content security threats, such as viruses for handheld devices and email-borne spam and phishing."

Besides, additional benefits are offered to mobile operators through various integrated solutions.

"Such tighter integration can result in enhanced security, more efficient processing, reduced redundant message handling and better reporting and monitoring."

The company, which has a history of acquiring companies, is always on the lookout for buys, according to him.

Sahasrabudhe recently joined Aladdin after serving as Country Manager of F5 Networks. Prior to that, he worked with Teledatacom as Country Manager. He holds a B.E from Karnataka University and has done his masters in marketing management from Bombay University.

dmurali@thehindu.co.in