May 18, 2007—Hirsch Electronics, a leading provider of physical security management systems, and RSA, the security division of EMC, demonstrated the integration of their physical and logical access systems at the Smart Cards in Government Conference, April 10-13, in Washington, DC.
The integration of the RSA Card Manager smart card management solution with Hirsch’s Velocity physical access control system (PACS) will enable government agencies to enhance efficiency, increase security, and reduce costs by consolidating multiple credentials onto a single device that enables employees to access both secured areas and electronic resources, the companies say.
The companies demonstrated how organizations can create, issue, and manage smart card credentials that can be used for building access and network access. In a single workflow, RSA Card Manager automatically passes the required identity informationboth cardholder and credential infointo the Hirsch Velocity physical access server, setting up the user’s physical access permissions while simultaneously issuing a smart card that can be used as photo ID and network access. The Hirsch RUU-201 Verification Station then verifies the card and cardholder prior to turning over the card to the cardholder at issuance to ensure interoperability in the federal space.
Once the credential is issued, its use extends beyond the typical flash-pass functionality for physical access. The card’s contactless physical access interface can be used for multi-factor authentication and access to control areas, managed by the Hirsch Velocity PACS system. RSA Authentication Client (also FIPS-201 certified) smart card middleware is used for logical authentication and access to machines, networks, domain controllers and applications. It also facilitates access to card credentials used for message encryption and digital signing.
For more information, visit the Hirsch Electronics Web site as well as the company’s FMLink ad.
