13 December, 2010
category: Digital ID, Government
CertiPath and the U.S. government’s Public Key Infrastructure Policy Authority are testing identity access credentials for sensitive sites.
The PIV-I cards enable non-executive branch federal employees; customers and partners; first responders; and state and local officials to access facilities and systems, to which they have explicitly been granted access, using their own, single identity credentials.
CertiPath said that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimated in 2009 that there were 25.3 million first-responders who may require PIV-I credentials. With the proliferation of credential issuers, there is a need to ensure that these systems meet the standards required in highly sensitive environments.
CertiPath introduced the architecture and operational systems for a single credential in 2009. Credential issuers who apply at the PIV-I level of assurance with CertiPath Bridge or the U.S. Federal Bridge, operated by the General Services Administration, must submit a sample credential for evaluation and testing in a real-world configuration.
CertiPath said the partnership with the government provides technical credential conformance testing for both bridges, and ensures a more consistent result will be achieved.
Once certified as PIV-I, commercial issuer, applicants can sell these credentials as approved by both the U.S. Federal Bridge and the CertiPath Bridge communities. To date, the companies that have applied include Citibank, Digicert, Entrust, ORC – Widepoint, VeriSign and Verizon.