Information Security: Status of Federal Public Key Infrastructure Activities at Major Federal Departments and Agencies;Report to the Congress

摘要

Public key infrastruce (PKI) and its associated hardware, software, policies, and people can provide greater security assurances than simpler means of authenticating identity, such as passwords. In pursuit of these benefits, 20 of the 24 agencies reported that they are undertaking a total of 89 PKI initiatives. The 89 initiatives are at various stages of development, and collectively they represent a significant investment, estimated at about ;1 billion. In addition, the governmentwide FBCA and ACES programs continue to promote the adoption and implementation of PKI, but these programs have seen mixed progress and results. The level of participation in the FBCA, which provides a means to link independent agency PKIs into a broader network, is the same as in 2001--four agencies have been certified as meeting technical and security requirements to interconnect through the network. Additional organizations are planning to participate in the future, including four federal agencies and some nonfederal organizations, such as the state of Illinois, the Canadian government, and educational consortiums.