SECURE INPUT DEVICES FOR A SECURE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Auerbach, November 3rd, 2020 – "Made in Germany" continues to stand for a special promise of quality. And the topic of IT security is increasingly high on the priority lists of organisations - especially with authorities and administrations. Therefore, CHERRY has brought these two aspects together again for itself: In Auerbach, where the secure production of the KC 1000 SC-Z keyboard under BSI-certified conditions and the SECURE BOARD 1.0 will take place with immediate effect. The production facilities for the latter keyboard were previously located in Klášterec in the Czech Republic. With this step, CHERRY has brought the production of secure keyboards back to Germany in its entirety.
The manufacturing process of the certified smart card keyboards has been certified by the BSI in accordance with Common Criteria. These keyboards are preferably used by German public authorities who deal with the processing of highly sensitive data. For this reason there is a particularly high demand for secure input devices.
Nevertheless, it is precisely here that security issues such as the threat from insiders are still mainly addressed on the software side. In many cases, security begins at the input device, such as the keyboard. CHERRY has been addressing this problem for some time now and has hybrid keyboards, consisting of a keyboard and card reader, in its portfolio. The KC 1000 SC-Z Security Keyboard is an extremely secure wired keyboard with an integrated class 2 smart card reader. The smart keyboard offers maximum security at the workplace, and the integrated smart card terminal meets the necessary requirements for electronic signatures, authentication, data encryption, and access authorisations.
The SECURE BOARD 1.0 also has a card reader integrated into the keyboard. It also has a contactless card reader located at the back of the keyboard. This can also read RFID and NFC cards or tags. In Secure Mode, the authenticity of the device is verified certificate-based, and the key transmission is encrypted. This makes it impossible for hardware keyloggers to access sensitive access data and passwords. By blocking the standard keyboard channel, "Bad USB" attacks are also a thing of the past: USB sticks that log onto the system as a keyboard cannot inject uncontrolled entries and malicious codes.
With the establishment of the new production facilities in Auerbach, CHERRY is visibly and consistently committed to the informal quality label "Security Made in Germany". Acceptance and approval of the new facilities was completed in KW 40. So production has been running since October and IT Security devices is then once again coming from one source and one place at CHERRY.
Further information can be found at: https://www.cherry.de/produkte/security-solutions.html
About CHERRY
CHERRY, headquartered in Auerbach/OPf., Germany, is a leading global manufacturer of computer input devices with a focus on Office, Gaming, Industry, Security and switches for mechanical keyboards. CHERRY employs approximately 400 people in production plants and corporate branches in Germany, France, UK, China, (Mainland, Hongkong, Taiwan) and the USA. Founded in 1953, CHERRY stands for German quality products that are designed and developed specifically for the needs of its customers. In December 2019, the company opened a new headquarters in Auerbach, reflecting the new image of CHERRY as the workplace of the future, with an emphasis on the concept of New Work. CHERRY brings high quality, passion as well as design in working environments and thus addresses end-customers and companies alike who have high demands on performance, service life and functionality.