Nissan Motor Co. LTD is strengthening its global security posture through the standardization of physical access, the use of digital credentials for encryption and the use of two-factor authentication. The company chose Atos Origin for its smart card authentication project, which demonstrates the progressive leadership essential for maintaining worldwide preeminence.

The Business Challenges

With locations around the globe, a wealth of intellectual property and many, many systems that run the business and the plants, Nissan wanted a consistent and strong security solution. Smart card authentication allows Nissan to have a common identity management platform that provides efficient controls for access to facilities and information across the globe, while providing continuous improvements in user productivity.

Our Solution

Atos Origin has a strong understanding, appreciation and commitment to Nissan’s vision and objectives. With unmatched experience, a well-defined and proven methodology, and highly qualified resources in smart card-based identity management, Atos Origin addressed all of the requirements of the smart card authentication pilot project for Nissan.

In our solution to Nissan, we first deployed Mifare-based physical access standards supplied by two approved physical access vendors. We rolled out the physical access standards on a regional basis.

In the next step, we rolled out the logical access phase of the project followed by the deployment of the physical access system and smart cards. The smart cards were deployed with Activcard middleware, GINA and Card Management System. Verisign digital certificates provide network and VPN authentication.

Atos Origin has provided, and continues to provide, Project Management, Supplier Management and Technology Integration services for this global project serving more than 50,000 employees.

Additional components of the Atos Origin IDM suite of deliverables involved:

• Human Resources or other trusted authoritative system Directory
• Help Desk ticketing and change management system
• Provisioning and Reporting
• Audit Engine
• Card Issuance and Card Management System
• Combination physical access and smart card ID badge
• Physical Access Control System
• Certificate Authority
• Single Sign-On Client
• Identity Management Self-Service Portal

The Benefits

The solution provided to Nissan by Atos Origin goes beyond the secure physical access to include a full definition of system requirements. This encompasses required functionality and security policy, and takes into account factors such as cost, requirements to integrate with and migrate from legacy systems, and the effect of implementation on the users and the organization.

Nissan now has the following benefits throughout its global organization:

• High speed access and reduced maintenance costs
• Robust security, supporting multi-factor authentication and a variety of authentication and encryption technologies
• Flexibility in the application to incorporate multiple cards and readers
• Established standards-based solutions, providing a selection of interoperable components and availability of cards and readers from multiple vendors.