New technical specifications for smart identity cards will allow federal employees to use them with mobile devices and media, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The next-generation Personal Identification Verification (PIV) card will enable employees to make secure government network connections via mobile devices, according to NIST. The upgraded standards also strengthen identify assurance for federal workers when they physically enter buildings and use computers.
The revised Federal Information Processing Standard 201-2 of 2013 first set the stage for the new generation of PIV cards, specifying new technologies for the strong authentication credential and providing enhanced support for mobile devices. Now NIST has updated two key documents that define the technical details for the standard:
- Interfaces for Personal Identity Verification, NIST Special Publication 800-73-4, governs the manner in which the PIV card stores and retrieves credentials.
- Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for Personal Identity Verification, Special Publication 800-78-4, provides the technical cryptographic details needed to maintain PIV-card security.
