Company Overview
Entrust was founded in 1994 as a division of Nortel (Northern Telecom), with its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The company is a globally recognized leader in digital security solutions, specializing in public key infrastructure (PKI), hardware security modules (HSM), identity management, and digital signatures. In 2021, Entrust was acquired by private equity firm Thoma Bravo for approximately $2.15 billion.
Entrust's mission is to "make a secure world simple," delivering comprehensive digital security solutions -- including SSL/TLS certificates, PKI deployments, HSM encryption, identity verification, and electronic signatures -- to enterprises, governments, and financial institutions worldwide.
Related providers:
- 🔒 Entrust SSL Certificates
- 🔐 Entrust SSL Services
Product Portfolio
🔐 PKI & Certificate Management
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Entrust PKI | Enterprise-grade public key infrastructure platform supporting certificate issuance, renewal, revocation, and lifecycle management for SSL/TLS, code signing, document signing, and IoT device certificates |
| Entrust SSL/TLS Certificates | Globally trusted SSL/TLS certificates with DV, OV, and EV validation levels, compatible with all major browsers |
| Entrust Certificate Hub | Centralized certificate management platform with auto-discovery, monitoring, and automated renewal |
| Entrust Public Trust | Public trust certificate services for HTTPS encryption on web servers and applications |
🛡️ Hardware Security Modules (HSM)
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Entrust nShield | Hardware security module series providing FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified cryptographic key protection, including nShield Solo, nShield Connect, and nShield as a Service |
| Entrust nShield as a Service | Cloud-delivered HSM service supporting native integration with AWS CloudHSM, Azure Dedicated HSM, and other cloud platforms |
👤 Identity Security
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Entrust Identity | Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) platform offering multi-factor authentication (MFA), single sign-on (SSO), and adaptive authentication |
| Entrust Identity Enterprise | On-premises identity and access management (IAM) solution |
| Entrust Smart Credential | Smart card and mobile credential solutions for physical and logical access |
✍️ Digital Signatures & Document Security
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Entrust Digital Signatures | Digital signature solutions compliant with eIDAS, ESIGN, ZertES, and other global electronic signature regulations |
| Entrust Document Signing | Batch document signing solution supporting PDF, Microsoft Office, and other formats |
| Entrust eSignatures | Electronic signature service covering use cases from simple signatures to advanced digital signatures |
| Entrust Code Signing | Code signing certificates protecting software releases and mobile applications from tampering |
Key Milestones
- 1994：Established as the security division of Nortel, focusing on encryption and PKI technology
- 1999：Spun off from Nortel as an independent company, officially renamed Entrust
- 2000：Launched Entrust SSL/TLS certificate services, entering the web security market
- 2006：Released Entrust Identity solutions, expanding into identity management
- 2009：Acquired nCipher (now nShield), entering the hardware security module (HSM) market
- 2017：Launched Entrust nShield as a Service, delivering HSM capabilities from the cloud
- 2021：Acquired by Thoma Bravo for approximately $2.15 billion, embarking on a private growth strategy
- 2023：Released Entrust Certificate Hub for unified certificate lifecycle management
- 2024：Launched Entrust Identity as a Service (IDaaS), accelerating cloud identity transformation
- 2026：Continues to expand the digital security portfolio, deepening the convergence of PKI, HSM, identity, and signatures
Competitive Advantages
PKI Leadership：As one of the early pioneers of PKI technology with over 25 years of expertise, Entrust serves government agencies, banks, and large enterprises worldwide.
nShield HSM：Following the acquisition of nCipher, Entrust nShield has become one of the most trusted HSM brands globally, widely deployed in payments, PKI root key protection, and code signing.
Comprehensive Portfolio：From SSL certificates to PKI platforms, from HSM to identity authentication, and from digital signatures to document signing, Entrust offers end-to-end digital security solutions.
High-Security Credibility：Widely deployed across the most security-sensitive industries including government, finance, and healthcare, with FIPS, Common Criteria, and eIDAS certifications.
Market Position
Entrust competes directly with the following vendors in the digital security and PKI market:
- DigiCert：Direct competition in SSL/TLS certificates and PKI management
- GlobalSign：Competition in SSL certificates and digital signatures
- Sectigo：Rival in SSL/TLS certificates and IoT certificate management
- Thales：Direct competition in HSM (hardware security modules) and encryption management
- Keyfactor：Competition in certificate lifecycle management and PKI automation
- AppviewX：Rival in certificate management and SSL/TLS automation
Summary
As a long-established player in the digital security industry, Entrust has built one of the most comprehensive digital security product portfolios centered on PKI, HSM, identity management, and digital signatures. Its nShield HSM series enjoys a strong reputation in cryptographic key protection, while its PKI platform is trusted by government agencies and financial institutions worldwide. With the backing of Thoma Bravo, Entrust is accelerating its transition to cloud-delivered security services, solidifying its leadership in the digital security space.
