public-private partnerships

Card Overload

Government directives can help private sector determine which access control cards best fit their needs

Government directives were designed to help enhance security, increase government efficiency, reduce identity fraud and protect personal privacy by establishing a government-wide standard for secure and reliable forms of identification issued by the federal government to its personnel.

You can use these directives to help those in the private sector to be better informed. With computer hackers stealing millions of electronic records every year, many Fortune 1,000 companies are trying to secure their networks through the use of public key infrastructure. As such, many are turning to HSPD-12.

The Federal Government

As a result of Sept. 11, 2001, in August 2004, President George W. Bush issued HSPD-12, which established the policy for common identification standards for all federal employees and contractors who require routine or regular scheduled access to federal facilities.

The directive developed a common identification standard that ensures people are who they say they are, so government facilities and sensitive information stored in networks and within physical facilities remain protected. To achieve a higher protection level, HSPD-12 requires agencies to issue smart-card technologies to all federal employees and contractors for access to buildings, facilities and computer networks. In addition, HSPD-12 directed the development of federal information processing standards to define systems to achieve a common identification credential. In accordance with HSPD-12, the FIPS 201 standard, the personal identity verification of federal employees and contractors, establishes the technical requirements for the identity credential that is issued based on sound criteria for verifying a person's identity. It ensures the credential is strongly resistant to identity fraud, tampering, counterfeiting and terrorist exploitation and can be rapidly authenticated electronically.

Following this presidential directive, standards have arisen to drive major changes in card technologies. For example, FIPS 201 defines the PIV and platform interoperability. FIPS 140 defines the requirements and standards for cryptographic modules, which include both hardware and software components for security. Finally, NIST 800-116 defines the use of PIV cards within a physical access control system. From these standards have come other programs, like TWIC, CAC (Department of Defense), FRAC (first responders) and PIV-I (interoperable) for government subcontractors and PIV-C (PIV compatible) for private companies that want to use the card as an employee badge.

A new type of card was developed to support both contactless physical access and contact logical access, commonly referred to as a dual interface card. Both interfaces, contact and contactless, are connected to the same processor chip, providing common security and cost efficiency. For physical access control, the cards can support MIFARE or DESFire emulation and, with the addition of a Prox inlay, also can support legacy proximity technologies.

While MIFARE and DESFire are not used within a PIV deployment, the open and interoperable architecture of the technologies aligns perfectly with the non-proprietary strategy behind HSPD-12.

Public key infrastructure is a set of policies, processes, server platforms, software and workstations used for the purpose of administering certificates and public-private key pairs, including the ability to issue, maintain and revoke public key certificates As a result of HSPD-12, the government has launched major PIV programs to comply with this directive, including TWIC, Department of Veterans Affairs Personal Identity Verification system and GSA USAccess. It also includes two forms of ID: physical access and computer access using the PIN within the card.

The General Services Administration's Office of Governmentwide Policy has been appointed as the Federal PKI Management Authority to manage the design and development, and implement and operate the Production FPKIA.

Homeland Security-trusted Traveler Program

The purpose of the card is to verify your identity by matching the information stored in the card with the information you provided during your enrollment process.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued specific guidance on the implementation and application of physical access control with PIV cards. This guidance is known as SP800-116 and requires the specific use of the strong authentication and other features of the PIV credential for every access control system. The requirements of SP800-116 represent the use of advanced credential and individual identity authentication that is outside of the scope of most existing access control readers and require PKI processing that transcends the operational capabilities of most PACS infrastructure.

A few companies have developed products specifically to meet and exceed the requirements of FIPS201 and SP800-116 and now offer a complete solution in compliance with these standards and directives.

Featured

  • AI to Help Resolve Non-Emergency Calls Across Utah and Decrease 911 Caller Wait Times

    The Utah Communications Authority (UCA), which oversees the state’s next generation 911 technology services, recently announced that public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state plan to implement Motorola Solutions’ Virtual Response technology to automate the receipt and resolution of 10-digit non-emergency line calls in Utah with the help of AI. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Local Governments Face Surge in Ransomware Attacks with Minimal Resources

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, recently released new research highlighting the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. The report details how government organizations have become prime targets for cybercriminals while simultaneously facing severe resource constraints. Read Now

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.