PKI spending hits $1B

Twenty of 24 federal agencies are investing about $1 billion in public key infrastructure activities, but challenges to PKI projects remain, according to a General Accounting Office report released this month.

More secure than password-based authentication, PKI uses digital certificates and certificate authorities to authenticate users on a network.

GAO found 89 PKI initiatives are in development, but PKI projects from only four agencies have been certified to meet technical and security requirements of the governmentwide Federal Bridge Certification Authority, which links PKI programs into a network.

Agencies have been slow to participate in a program that offers PKI services through a GSA contract, the report said.