PGP Encryption Desktop prompts for the PIN multiple times (Symantec Encryption Desktop)

Products

• Desktop Email Encryption
• Drive Encryption
• Encryption Management Server
• Endpoint Encryption
• File Share Encryption
• Gateway Email Encryption
• PGP Encryption Suite
• PGP Command Line
• PGP Key Management Server
• PGP Key Mgmt Client Access and CLI API
• PGP SDK

Issue/Introduction

PGP Encryption Desktop (Symantec Encryption Desktop) prompts for the PIN multiple times when a PIV/smartcard contains multiple certificates for the same user.

The number of PIN prompts depends on the number of certificates on the card even if the PIN is the same for each certificate.

Caching doesn’t work so users are prompted multiple times per day.

Environment

Applies to Symantec Encryption Desktop of version 10.5.1 and higher.

Using Email Encryption may trigger these prompts more frequently as it is used throughout the day as each individual certificate is updated.

 

Resolution

This behavior is working as designed and is normal to prompt each time the certificate keypair is accessed on the smartcard.

If you would like to have additional functionality to lessen the amount of prompts, please reach out to Symantec Encryption Support and we can add you to a feature request to this effect.

Additional Information

IMSFR-1015