ActivIdentity to aid DOD in HSPD-12 requirements

ActivIdentity Corp. of Fremont, Calif., has been tapped by the Department of Defense to help the agency make its smart-card system compliant with Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12.

Under the contract, ActivIdentity will supply middleware that authenticates DOD Common Access Card holders and can update the card to ensure it meets HSPD-12 requirements.

"This contract allows DOD to comply with the spirit of HSPD-12 by allowing physical access, logical access and integration with remote workers," said Jason Hart, ActivIdentity CEO.

DOD has issued more than 11 million CACs over the past several years, but new federal requirements mean the cards need to be updated so they can comply with HSPD-12. In particular, the cards need to become interoperable with other agency card management systems and must digitally authenticate the card-holder.

The cards expire after three years, Hart said, meaning that new and updated cards are always being issued. At the same time, existing cards can be updated remotely, he said, by adding tweaks to the middleware the cards already contain.

Rob Thormeyer is a staff writer for Washington Technology's sister publication, Government Computer News.