IAF gets license to issue Digital Signature Certificates

Posted by- Neelam Mathews

Aug 30, 2011

Enhancing Indian Air Force security in cyberspace, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne was formally handed over the license to issue Digital Signature Certificates by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA), N Vijay Aditya at Air Headquarters.

As a part of the AFNET (Air Force Network) Project, Digital Signatures issued by a license holder would provide the legal recognition to an electronic document under the IT Act 2000. With this, the IAF would be able to put in place a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which is a practical strategy for achieving information security in a networked environment.

An essential component for providing enhanced Information Assurance and Identity Management Capabilities, PKI would provide data integrity, user identification and authentication, user non-repudiation, data confidentiality, encryption and digital signature services for programs and applications on Air Force Network. It would also issue and manage software and hardware certificates on the state-of-the-art IP/MPLS (Internet Protocol/ Multiprotocol Label Switching) network of the IAF. With this system in place, the IAF becomes the first defence organization and the second Government body,[first being NIC (National Informatics Centre)] to receive the coveted license.