GovernmentExecutive.com

Under a new homeland security directive, all government workers must authenticate their identities with "smart cards" before performing simple tasks like faxing or scanning documents over e-mail. The move has forced major manufacturers of printers, scanners, facsimile machines, copiers and peripheral software to either accommodate smart-card readers or lose government customers.

In October, agencies had to start issuing standard IDs for all employees and contractors to use in accessing any government facility or anything connected to a government computer network. Typically, employees must enter an access card and personal ID number. The card reader then checks the data with a directory on the agency's server before granting the employee permission to enter the facility or operate the machine.

While some agencies have outfitted many facilities and desktop computers with smart-card access, Enrique Barkey, the director of public sector and education for Hewlett-Packard's worldwide global enterprise organization, said "the weakest link from a security perspective is in the printing and imaging environment."

At the Defense Department, HP is deploying smart-card-ready printers, which contain an HP card reader and software that can communicate with the agency to confirm user IDs. "Other agencies are waiting to see what happens with the DOD," Barkey said Monday.

For HP, the security directive served as "a great opportunity in terms of revenue but also a threat" in terms of losing existing government customers, Barkey said.

Ricoh, another government vendor, spent two years creating new drivers for essentially its entire multifunction printer line to meet the new security specifications, said John Thiessen, Ricoh's product manager for secure products.

Master Sgt. David Parella, who is with the Massachusetts National Guard but was sharing only his opinions when he spoke to Technology Daily, said he has had positive experiences with eCopy scanning software that was modified to meet the smart-card requirements.

In the past, eCopy's station accessories had let him scan documents into e-mails by replicating the e-mail account he uses at his desktop. The new model incorporates a card reader, multi-function printer, eCopy's software, a keyboard and a touch screen, enabling him to comply with the new directive and still scan paper originals directly into network applications.

Parella said the verification process takes 12-15 seconds once he enters his ID number. The scanning station then automatically launches his e-mail account so he can scan to e-mail or a drive on the agency's network. Such mobility made it possible for Parella to scan and send needed documents to "forward deployed" soldiers.

Bill DeStefanis, director of product management for eCopy, said his company relied on unfettered access to the Massachusetts National Guard's hardware during the development process. "We had to work on site to verify that it worked in a live environment," he said. "We don't have [common access] cards, so we can't plug in a CAC card and try it."

COMMENTS

• The directive is titled as the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) - 12 signed by President Bush on August 27, 2004. In essence this process is intended to replace the old userid and password concept in order to upgrade the overall functionality of eliminating the need for multiple userids and passwords for various systems within an organization. Some individuals view this process as the fabled Single Sign-On; whereby, a user enters a single userid and password to gain acces to all systems that they are authorized to have access to. It is interesting to note that this directive effects both the physical and logical access points. It is intended to supplement an organizations' badging and password procedures for gaining access to installations, buildings, floors, rooms, systems, applications, databases and hardware components for maintenance activities. The only thing not mentioned is the fact the HSPD-12 may incorporate Biometric materials that constitute a HIPPA requirement for all access points that will in essence eliminate the need for the FIPS 199 Data Categorization as Biometric materials will require a High Level of protection of the information contained within the Smart-Card and all components that handle the information. This analysis will require the recertification of all federal systems from low or moderate to a High categorization level. The comments provided here are the thoughts of only a single individual and are not to be construed as the opinion of any federal agency. Robert Edwards Posted May 23, 2007 7:32 AM
• The law in question, as memory serves, is Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12. It impacts ALL government agencies and requires a common "smart" card for identifying federal employees and contractors. The intent is to create a cross platform, multiple technology, PKI based system which allows for greater security using a two tiered system of control. The first tier is something the user has (the card) the second tier is a biometric or something the user knows (such as a password). The intent is to retrofit existing access control systems (of varying age and provenance) which will then accept a common card. The system will also tie into LAN and WANs as a mean of user authentication. The problem is that NIST has been changing the standards (monthly) and there is no consistent guidance on implementation. Factor in the fact that this card may also be a travel and procurement card and you have built a huge monster of a project that no agency is funded for, and for which no agency has staffing. Ultimately it will be like every other "idea" that has come down the pike- it will be late, over budget, and won't work as planned. Cynical Citizen Posted May 22, 2007 6:26 PM
• The directive was issued back in late 04 or early 05. It covers ALL government IT equipment including DoD. And no, just because you log onto your network does not mean you will be able to print. The system is designed to prevent government data from being released, emailed, printed, faxed etc. by unauthorized individuals and to track who sent it and to whom it was sent. I think that covers all the preceeding questions. Richard J. Posted May 22, 2007 12:07 PM