SafeNet Authentication Client (SAC)

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	SafeNet Authentication Client (SAC) is a middleware client that manages SafeNet`s extensive portfolio of certificate-based authenticators, including eToken and iKey smart card, Universal Serial Bus (USB) tokens, and software-based devices. Note: SafeNet Authentication Client (SAC) was formerly owned by Gemalto. Thales Group acquired Gemalto on April 2, 2019.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v22.8
Decision Date:	08/10/2022 at 19:54:41 UTC
Aliases:	eToken, PKI, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Client
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Thales Group

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
8.0
8.1
8.2
8.3	02/06/2014
9.0	01/30/2015
9.1 (MacOS)	11/23/2015
10.x (Windows)	04/06/2016
10.x (MacOS)	11/23/2015
10.x (Red Hat)	04/02/2018
10.x (CentOS)	04/02/2018

Current Decision Matrix (08/09/2022)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2024

CY2025

CY2026

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

8.0

Unapproved

8.1

Unapproved

8.2

Unapproved

8.3

Unapproved

9.0

Unapproved

9.1 (MacOS)

Unapproved

10.x (Windows)

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 14, 15, 16]

10.x (MacOS)

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 14, 15, 16]

10.x (Red Hat)

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 14, 15, 16]

10.x (CentOS)

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 14, 15, 16]

Decision Constraints


[1]	This Technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population.

[2]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[3]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[4]	In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004 , VA Directive 6517, and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process.

[5]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[6]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[7]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[8]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[9]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[10]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[11]	Users must utilize approved internet browsers, as Microsoft Internet Explorer has reached End of Life status. See Category Tab for details. Users must ensure that Firefox, and Google Chrome are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[12]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[13]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[14]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[15]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISSO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[16]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 6500.

Note:

At the time of writing, 10.0 (Red Hat and CentOS), and 10.8 R6 (Windows) are the most current versions released. The most current version for MacOS is 10.8 R1.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
There are no references identified for this entry.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
No components have been identified for this entry.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Security Identity and Access Management	Authentication
Security Network Security	Encryption

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

CentOS Linux - Unapproved
macOS - Approved w/Constraints
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Server - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE)

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This technology transparently operates with any standard certificate-based security application.
This technology supports secure access, data encryption, and digital signing with a single authenticator.
This technology provides support for full client customization, including security configuration, policies and user interface. Additionally, the solution can integrate with any certificate-enabled application based on industry standard Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
This technology allows organizations to use certificate-enabled security capabilities from any client or server thanks to multi-platform support. Additionally, the solution provides support for Common Criteria and Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) certified devices.
This technology provides strong two-factor authentication for network and data protection.
The technology enables enhanced password management applications for protecting personal computers (PCs) and securing onsite local network access, using eToken Network Logon.
The use of this technology may help improve the security posture of the organization.
This is a mature technology.
This is a well-documented technology.

Adoption Risks

Microsoft Internet Explorer, a dependency of this technology, is in End of Life status and must no longer be used.
This technology may utilize external data connections.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
There are known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) associated with this technology. Please see https://nvd.NIST.gov/vuln/search for more details.
The potential exists to store Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data and proper security standards must be followed in these cases.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-approved operating systems.

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Special Events

VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (08/09/2022)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (08/09/2022)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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