Gradkell Systems

Gradkell Systems has been implementing digital signatures for the Department of Defense since 1991 -- long before DoD started issuing PKI certificates. DBsign® was developed from years of knowledge gained working with DoD in the development of paperless information systems in security sensitive financial environments. DBsign® is now deployed in large scale, DoD-wide and department-wide applications such as the Defense Travel System as well as dozens of smaller applications. DBsign® has proven it's commitment to high security environments in the following ways: Maintaining NIAP CCEVS Validation: The NIAP CCEVS is governed by the National Security Agency and ensures that IT security products are designed, developed, implemented, tested and documented in accordance with the internationally recognized Common Criteria. Essentially, NIAP CCEVS validation ensures that security products do what they say they will do and that they are properly designed, developed, tested, and documented. NIAP Common Criteria validation is required for all security products in DoD according to DoD Directive 8500.1 Maintaining JITC Public Key Enabling (PKE) Certification: JITC PKE certification is performed by DoD's Joint Interoperability Test Command and ensures that PKI related products are interoperable with the DoD PKI and operate according to DoD's PKI security policies. DBsign® has passed JITC PKE Certification three times and will undergo testing again soon. Maintaining Support for FIPS 140 Validated Cryptography: Since DBsign®, itself, is not a cryptographic module, it cannot be directly validated under the FIPS 140 specification. However, DBsign® is committed to maintaining the ability to utilize FIPS 140-1 validated cryptographic modules. Actually, The use of FIPS 140 validated modules is a requirement of both NIAP CCEVS and JITC PKE evaluation. Maintaining High Performance and Scalability Levels to Support Large Scale Systems: The DoD PKI and the DoD user base is are some of the largest in the world. DBsign® is committed to the maintaining the performance and scalability demands that are required to handle the demands of very large systems. Our commitment to DoD's security requirements and third party certification requirements not only serves the interests of DoD, but also ensures that DBsign® is a verifiably secure product for all our customers.