Cogent offers a comprehensive Biometric Solution for PIV

Cogent Systems today announced it had received approval from the General Services Administration (GSA) for its fingerprint algorithmic technologies to be used in conjunction with the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) smart cards to be issued to U.S federal government employees and contractors beginning on October 27th, 2006.  Cogent's leading fingerprint algorithmic technologies were the first to receive GSA approval for use in intimate combination with the PIV smart card issuance and operation infrastructures.  In addition to its approved algorithms, Cogent has a comprehensive suite of PIV biometric solutions available and has submitted additional products for GSA approval to be used in this program.

The Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) calls for all federal government employees and contractors to be issued an interoperable PIV smart card from federal government agencies capable of granting secure access to designated buildings and information technology infrastructures.  The GSA, in coordination with NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), is responsible for testing the PIV components and infrastructure and approving vendors to supply the technology to support the federal PIV smart card program.  Cogent's fingerprint template generator and fingerprint template matcher were the first fingerprint algorithms approved by the GSA Federal Information Processing Standard 201 (FIPS 201) Evaluation Program to be used for the PIV smart card issuance and identity validation processes.

"We believe that the PIV program will grow steadily to scale as the PIV cards are rolled out to federal employees and government contractors at an increasing rate over the next several years," commented Ming Hsieh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cogent.  "With this in mind, we have developed a comprehensive suite of biometric products for the PIV program which can provide a complete end-to-end biometric solution for our partners and customers."

More on Cogent Systems

In case you missed it

Which vertical markets have the greatest growth potential for security?
Which vertical markets have the greatest growth potential for security?

To serve various vertical markets and industries effectively, security professionals must recognise that each sector has unique assets, risks, compliance requirements, and operatio...

Marin Hospital enhances security with eCLIQ access control
Marin Hospital enhances security with eCLIQ access control

The Marin Hospital of Hendaye in the French Basque Country faced common challenges posed by mechanical access control. Challenges faced Relying on mechanical lock-and-key technol...

What’s behind (perimeter) door #1?
What’s behind (perimeter) door #1?

A lot has been said about door security — from reinforced door frames to locking mechanisms to the door construction — all of which is crucial. But what security measur...