DALLAS, May 19 /PRNewswire/ --

- Pinder to address trends in ePassport and national ID implementations, outline uses of secure government portals

Governments around the world are moving not only to put citizen services online, but to create a truly citizen-centric environment that enables citizen communication, secures sensitive government data, reduces cost and increases efficiency. To demonstrate how to secure this enabled environment with a layered approach, Entrust, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENTU) Senior Vice President Andrew Pinder, the organization's head of global government and former e-Envoy for the United Kingdom, will deliver the keynote address at the Bahrain International e-Government Forum Tuesday in Manama, Bahrain.

"From citizen-centric online applications to ePassport and national ID infrastructures, secure e-government models not only enable citizens but also help reduce cost and increase efficiency," said Entrust Senior Vice President and head of Global Governments Andrew Pinder. "Properly securing these multifaceted infrastructures requires a layered approach and should be done in a fashion that is transparent to the end-users and enforces both encryption and strong authentication when sensitive data is accessed or transferred between users. Solutions must be cost effective with usability that will scale to the masses more so than even the largest of private enterprises."

Pinder will emphasize the crucial role of securing government-issued credentials within e-government environments and how a layered approach to security helps ensure sensitive information remains secure. The keynote will recount the success of current e-government initiatives, as well as explore the benefits of ePassport technology -- both Basic Access Control (BAC) and Extended Access Control (EAC) -- and how secure government portals can be used for the delivery of online services.

"Regardless of the application, securing identities and information is a crucial aspect of any e-government model," said Pinder. "Securing this environment enables citizens, increases trust and reduces cost for both the government and its citizens."

Entrust, a leader in public key infrastructure (PKI), has been a key player in e-government deployments in the Middle East. In 2007, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) standardized on two Entrust solutions -- Entrust Authority PKI and Entrust Entelligence Messaging Server -- for encryption, digital signatures and authentication capabilities to underpin its national ID project, as well as secure e-mail. In February, Entrust announced it would help secure communication and access for Saudi Arabia's National Information Centre, which is managed by the country's Ministry of Interior. In addition, Entrust provides security solutions for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Singapore, New Zealand, Slovenia and other governments around the world.

Hosted at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Manama, Bahrain, the Bahrain International e-Government Forum assembles the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and international experts to discuss and debate the key issues and future directions in e-government initiatives. Established in 1981, the GCC's membership includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The six-member council coordinates resistance to outside intervention in the Gulf, as well as helps strengthen cooperation in key markets such as agriculture, industry, investment, security and trade.

The Bahrain International e-Government Forum's program can be found by visiting: http://www.egovforum.bh/speaker-program.pdf

About Entrust

Entrust (Nasdaq: ENTU) secures digital identities and information for consumers, enterprises and governments in more than 1,700 organizations spanning 60 countries. Leveraging a layered security approach to address growing risks, Entrust solutions help secure the most common digital identity and information protection pain points in an organization. These include SSL, authentication, fraud detection, shared data protection and e-mail security. For information, call +1-888-690-2424, e-mail entrust@entrust.com or visit http://www.entrust.com.

Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust, Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. In Canada, Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust Limited. All Entrust product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Entrust, Inc. or Entrust Limited. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Web site: http://www.entrust.com

Brooke Hamilton, Media Relations of Entrust, Inc., +1-972-713-5915, brooke.hamilton@entrust.com ; NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060720/NYTH074LOGO, AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org, PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com