PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., April 8, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Developing educational resources on the advantages of using standards-based secure identity credentials for physical and logical access and providing industry input on government identity credentialing efforts will continue to be the focus of activities in 2013, the Smart Card Alliance Access Control Council said today, also announcing new officers and leadership for the new year. The Smart Card Alliance will be at ISC West this week (Booth 41013) through April 12 at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas.
"Last year we made serious inroads on advancing the use of standards-based secure identity credentials. This year we will continue to work closely with government as they move forward with updated and new standards, and hold workshops and produce white papers to show all organizations, government and private, that leveraging existing standards and using smart card technology can provide higher levels of security for physical and logical access," said Access Control Council Chair Lars Suneborn, Oberthur Technologies.
In 2012, much of the Access Control Council's education was focused on the requirements and use of Personal Identity Verification Interoperable (PIV), PIV-Interoperable (PIV-I) and Commercial Identity Verification (CIV) credentials. Based on the same standards as the smart card-based PIV credential used within the federal government, PIV-I and CIV credentials allow state and local governments and enterprises to provide trust and security for employees accessing physical buildings and IT systems and networks.
Some of the notable resources released included a Comparison of PIV, PIV-I and CIV Credentials, PIV Card/Reader Challenges with Physical Access Control Systems: A Field Troubleshooting Guide, and the Strong Authentication Using Smart Card Technology for Logical Access white paper. The Council also worked with the Alliance Identity Council and the Mobile and NFC Council to host an educational workshop on the use of mobile devices for identity and access control applications at the 2012 Smart Card Alliance Government Conference.
The Access Control Council is continuing this work this year, already providing input to the General Services Administration (GSA) Evaluation Program Technical Working Group (EPTWG) on changes in the FIPS 201 Evaluation Program. "Providing industry input will be a continued focus as the updated FIPS 201-2 specification is released and additional NIST special publication documents come out in 2013," added Suneborn.
Leadership for 2013/2014
The Access Control Council is made up of more than 140 individuals from over 55 organizations spanning government agencies, smart card and software manufacturers, reader manufacturers, physical access control system manufacturers, systems integrators and biometrics solutions providers. The newly-elected officers are:
-- Chair: Lars Suneborn, Oberthur Technologies
-- Vice Chair: Lolie Kull, HP Enterprise Services
-- Secretary: Salvatore D'Agostino, IDmachines
The 2013/2014 steering committee includes:
-- Dave Adams, HID Global
-- Salvatore D'Agostino, IDmachines
-- Tony Damalas, Stanley Security Solutions, Inc.
-- Frazier Evans, Booz Allen Hamilton
-- Walter Hamilton, Identification Technology Partners
-- David Helbock, XTec, Inc.
-- Andy Kuchel, Quantum Secure Inc.
-- Lolie Kull, HP Enterprise Services
-- Roger Roehr, Roehr Consulting
-- Steve Rogers, IQ Devices
-- Adam Shane, AMAG Technology
-- Mike Sulak, Department of State
-- Joseph Tassone, Identive
-- Mike Zercher, NXP Semiconductors
For more information on the Access Control Council and a complete list of resources, visit http://www.smartcardalliance.org/pages/activities-councils-access-control.
Smart Card Alliance at ISC West
To continue its educational initiatives around access control, the Smart Card Alliance will host a full day workshop on April 9 at ISC West 2013, "Mobile Devices and Identity and Access Control Applications." The interactive workshop will provide attendees with a detailed understanding of new uses for mobile devices in storing and presenting secure digital identity credentials for digitally signing email and accessing secure networks as well as using NFC-enabled mobile devices for physical access. To register, visit http://www.smartcardalliance.org/secureid.
Complementing the workshop, the Alliance is presenting the Smart Card Identity and Mobile Security Pavilion in Booth 41013. This special showcase, presented in conjunction with Reed Expo, will be open April 10-12 during the exhibition and includes special technology demos by some of the leading companies in smart card security.
About the Access Control Council
The Smart Card Alliance Access Control Council is focused on accelerating the widespread acceptance, use, and application of smart card technology for physical and logical access control. The group brings together, in an open forum, leading users and technologists from both the public and private sectors and works on activities that are important to the access control community and that will help expand smart card technology adoption in this important market.
About the Smart Card Alliance
The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association working to stimulate the understanding, adoption, use and widespread application of smart card technology.
Through specific projects such as education programs, market research, advocacy, industry relations and open forums, the Alliance keeps its members connected to industry leaders and innovative thought. The Alliance is the single industry voice for smart cards, leading industry discussion on the impact and value of smart cards in the U.S. and Latin America. For more information please visit http://www.smartcardalliance.org.
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