Implementation of PKI Authentication Functions for Network User Authentication System "Opengate"

PKI (public key infrastructure) provides security functions on network, such as encryption of data, assurance that data are complete and user authentication, by public key encryption and so on. PKI begins to be built as an authentication base on a network by governments and universities. In Japan, UPKI (University Public Key Infrastructure) national academic authentication and authorization infrastructure project has started. Opengate is an user authentication gateway system for network in the environment opened to public. This system has been operating for controlling the campus-wide open network in Saga University since 2001. In this research, we implemented PKI authentication functions for Opengate, and we enabled the certificate-based authentication via a Web browser.