HID Global adds PIV credential to its government solutions offering, extends benefits for commercial applications

HID Global has announced the addition of a dual-interface Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credential to its pivCLASS Government Solutions portfolio, which simplifies issuance of PIV cards and the process of upgrading an existing physical access control system to support Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 201 (FIPS-201) standards.

The new pivCLASS smart card, along with the company’s comprehensive pivCLASS portfolio supports federal contractors that need to leverage high-security PIV Interoperability through the Federal Bridge.

“The FIPS-201 standard for federal employee and contractor identification is now spreading to other applications that require highly secure access control for sensitive areas, including power stations as well as data storage, nuclear power, water and petrochemical facilities and other critical infrastructure,” Stephane Ardiley, product marketing manager, Credentials with HID Global said. “In addition to making it easier for organizations to upgrade their access control systems to FIPS-201 compliance, our pivCLASS portfolio with the new dual-interface PIV credentials enable commercial and other organizations to take advantage of the technology created by the federal government’s PIV program for strong security and interoperability.”

HID’s pivCLASS credential meets the specified U.S. Government National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) security requirements for delivering a reliable verification system that protects cardsholder data with high-assurance, public key infrastructure-based strong authentication. According to the company, this can be offered as a traditional PIV credential for government use, or as a Commercial Identity Verification (CIV) credential for current and emerging applications. This new card supports multimodal biometrics, as well as strong authentication for VPN access.

The pivCLASS credential also includes the company’s proven Digital Identity Applets framework, which offers secure storage and protection for the smart card’s passwords, digital identity credentials, cryptographic functions, personal information and computer access capabilities. It also enables the card to deliver additional services beyond FIPS 201 such as one-time password (OTP) generation, and securing the communication channel over the contactless interface.

Reported in BiometricUpdate.com, HID Global acquired physical security identity management solutions provider Codebench earlier this year. Codebench is the developer of the Federal Information Processing Standard Publications 201 certified PIVCheck software suite.

Article Topics

access control  |  biometrics  |  commercial applications  |  government purchasing  |  multi-modal biometrics engine  |  Personal Identity Verification Cards  |  PIV  |  security