CertiPath Expands Trusted PACS Service Portfolio

HERNDON, Va., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- As demand for high-assurance physical access control systems (PACS) intensifies, CertiPath expands its Trusted PACS™ Service with new offerings aimed at closing  knowledge and technology gaps around the design, implementation and maintenance of these critical systems.  Its portfolio now includes design and certification solutions for hardware vendors and certification solutions for systems integrators and consultants.

Federated PACS strategies that leverage public key infrastructure (PKI) significantly lower the cost of issuing multiple badges and reduce the risk caused by lost credentials.  Federated credentials for physical access control can provide the foundation for extending access to partners and suppliers –

significantly streamlining data sharing, access control and permissions, based on the shared ability to recognize credentials issued by acceptable authorities.  Mandates such as the US Department of Defense's DTM 09-012 and NIST's FIPS 201 provide additional incentive to roll out high-assurance PACS.

In 2009, CertiPath was selected by the U.S. General Services Administration to author a specification for Federated, PKI-based PACS and to oversee the implementation of a compliant system.  The resulting guidance document provides the specifications for a PACS to satisfy the requirements in mandates such as DTM 09-012.

Combining deep industry expertise and a successful track record in managing implementations, CertiPath's Trusted PACS Services help vendors and consultants accelerate product delivery and expertise in the field of federated PACS, ensuring that customers get the advanced systems needed to protect their locations, quickly and cost-effectively.

For hardware vendors:

• Trusted PACS Product Design Service: CertiPath's team of experts works with product development teams to bring systems to market faster, at a lower total cost, and certified-ready – for even the most mission-critical environments.
• Trusted PACS Product Certification Service: Product evaluation and testing is done in a real-world configuration, and certified products are included in CertiPath's Approved Vendor List and can be promoted as such. The 3^rd-party validation gives buyers peace-of-mind that solutions are implementation-ready to address the full range of lowest to highest physical protection requirements.

For systems integrators and consultants:

• Trusted PACS Integrator Certification Program: This two-day intensive course covers everything integrators must know about the new high-assurance credentials and how they are used within a high assurance PACS.  Participants work through a day of classroom learning and a day of hands-on system configuration with the leading PACS.  Participants who successfully complete the requirements of the certification program are listed in CertiPath's Certified Integrators directory and can promote their credentials.

The Authority in High-Assurance Identity Management

Earlier this year, CertiPath introduced Trusted PACS Services for government and commercial facilities owners to help reduce the total cost of securing facilities while delivering the efficiency and protection of an integrated approach to physical access control. Its services for these stakeholders include requirements analysis, program management and implementation assurance.

"Every stakeholder understands the need to replace today's fragmented, expensive and vulnerable approaches to managing identity verification within physical access control, but few truly know how to achieve high-assurance PACS," said Jeff Nigriny, president of CertiPath. "Based on our experiences, we've identified the biggest gaps and created services that help close them – ensuring PACS strategies are designed and deployed with the highest levels of integrity."

About CertiPath

CertiPath provides the aerospace and defense industry's only public key infrastructure (PKI)-based communications bridge where information can be shared widely, securely, effectively and affordably between partners, suppliers and customers – regardless of the size and scope of the supply chain.

CertiPath's solution tears down the burdensome and costly company, employee and program-centric approaches to identity assurance.  Today, organizations in the U.S., U.K. and Europe including Boeing, BAE Systems, EADS, Lockheed Martin, Northrop-Grumman, Raytheon and the U.S. Federal Bridge (FBCA) are members of this fast-growing community.  For more information, visit CertiPath on the web at http://www.certipath.com

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

SOURCE CertiPath