Newly Updated Access Control Standard Improves Interoperability and Security; Expands Support for Smart Card Applications

  • Dec 16, 2020

The Security Industry Association (SIA) has released version 2.2 of SIA Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP), an access control communications standard developed by SIA to improve interoperability among access control and security products.

SIA OSDP version 2.2 features the messages and formatting that were included in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60839-11-5 standard released earlier in 2020 and addresses some of the minor errata within that document. SIA OSDP version 2.2 replaces version 2.1.7 of the specification, released in 2015. Chief among the updates are an enhanced method for file transfer, which allows for the transfer of large data sets for firmware updates or graphics from an access control unit to a reader, clearer instructions for the implementation of SecureChannel to facilitate encrypted communications and updated messages for handling smartcard applications within the protocol.

SIA OSDP version 2.2 is a bridge that allows for easier updates of the OSDP specification and the subsequent publishing of these enhancements as an international standard. SIA OSDP allows devices, such as card readers, control panels or other security management systems to work together, providing the security industry with a solution that moves far beyond the widely-used Wiegand standard in terms of security and functionality. A two-way channel and encryption pave the way for advanced security applications such as the handling of smart cards, biometrics and government applications that require Public Key Infrastructure or Federal Identity, Credential and Access Management requirements.

“SIA OSDP version 2.2 is a culmination of all of the work done over the past five years to prepare the protocol for international standardization and fixes the majority of common implementation challenges faced by implementers of version 2.1.7,” said Steve Rogers, co-chair of the SIA OSDP Working Group and president at IQ Devices.

Already in use by many leading manufacturers, the SIA OSDP standard is recommended for access control installations that require advanced security or will be used in government and other higher-security settings. In April 2020, SIA introduced SIA OSDP Verified, a comprehensive testing program that validates a device’s conformance to the SIA OSDP standard and related performance protocols.

Maintained and developed by the SIA OSDP Working Group since 2011, the SIA OSDP standard was approved by the IEC technical committee on alarm and electronic security systems as an international standard in June 2020.

SIA OSDP v2.2 aims to duplicate the contents and terminology that were required in the IEC standardization process, harmonizing the SIA published protocol series and the IEC standard. Future versions of OSDP will continue to follow the IEC formatting conventions, enabling the always-evolving work of the SIA SODP Working Group to be more easily adopted through the IEC standards process.

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