The Port of Wilmington, which opened in 1923 and handles nearly 400 vessels and 4 million tons of cargo each year is the busiest port on the Delaware River, and the leading North American importation site for fresh fruit, bananas and juice concentrate. It was also the first seaport to use the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card, beginning with the TWIC Technology Phase pilot program in October 2003. TWIC is designed to add a layer of security at ports by ensuring that workers in secure areas have received a background check and do not pose a national security threat.
As the TWIC program expanded as part of the Maritime Security (MARSEC) criteria, so did the need for a software program that could read and record information from both the existing TWIC protype cards used with the port’s physical access control system and the latest TWIC cards. In addition, it was important to find a solution that would allow the port to access the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) ‘TWIC Cancelled Card List’, a real-time database of unauthorised TWIC users, so port security personnel can quickly identify those with revoked rights.
Port officials chose HID Global’s pivCLASS Registration Engine software, which drives the Datastrip mobile readers and also resides on a desktop enrolment workstation in the port’s main office
pivCLASS Registration Engine software
Recognising this need, Port of Wilmington officials began exploring their options for software that could work with their existing Honeywell security management platform, Pro-Watch and work on mobile card readers to deploy the enrolment process throughout the facility.
Port officials chose HID Global’s pivCLASS Registration Engine software, which drives the Datastrip mobile readers and also resides on a desktop enrolment workstation in the port’s main office. An additional license for certificate management allows the port to re-validate TWICs each day, once they are enrolled with the Honeywell system.
Operational with Datastrip’s DSV2+Turbo mobile card readers
Before the Port of Wilmington became a pilot site for the TWIC smart card program, it relied on 125kHz proximity cards and readers for worker identification. With the advent of TWIC compliance standards, port officials needed a way to register TWIC cards with their existing Honeywell Pro-Watch physical access control system and enter cardholder data into their database that would merge both TWIC and existing ID cards. With this merger, the port would need only one card for the access control system.
It was also important to be able to enrol TWIC cardholders at the various access points to the port, which spans 307 acres of land. Therefore, the software needed to be functional with rugged mobile card readers, such as Datastrip’s DSV2+Turbo.
TWIC credentials are required for entry to the port by anyone requiring frequent, unescorted access to the facility that is entirely designated as a secure and restricted area
Finally, Port Security wanted the ability to access the TSA TWIC Cancelled Card List and match it against those being enrolled in the Port’s database as well as those using their TWIC cards. This would allow Security to take the appropriate steps when necessary, such as suspending a card, identifying people who were already enrolled in the Port’s database and not double enrolling them, or spotting a potential terrorist.
TWIC Credentials for entry to the port
By using pivCLASS Registration Engine, which was deployed on mobile Datastrip readers as well as a desktop computer, port officials are now able to register TWIC holders throughout the port and transmit that information to the Pro-Watch system. These cards can then be read at the fixed card readers located at various entrances and access points throughout the port.
TWIC credentials are required for entry to the port by anyone requiring frequent, unescorted access to the facility that is entirely designated as a secure and restricted area. These include longshoremen, truck drivers, surveyors, agents, chandlers, port chaplains and labourers who access secure areas. Tenants who have their offices at the port, such as produce giants Chiquita and Dole, are also required to be enrolled in TWIC.
Integrated with existing access control system
Patrick Hemphill, retired Manager, Port Security and Facility Security Officer at the Port of Wilmington who lead this project said the mobile readers have been taken to local union halls to enrol longshoremen before they arrive at the port.
“This saved us a lot of time,” explained Hemphill. “We met with union leaders and set aside two, two-hour periods on pay days. The members were made aware of the need to know their PIN and we were able to enrol the majority of (union) members during those two days without interrupting their work schedule.”
After seeing a demo of the software, and its ability to read TWIC card information, Floyd-Kennard recognised it as a possible solution that could be integrated with the port’s existing access control system
pivCLASS Registration Engine first came to the attention of Port of Wilmington’s Director of Human Resources, Sylvia Floyd-Kennard during an American Association of Port Authorities conference. After seeing a demo of the software, and its ability to read TWIC card information, Floyd-Kennard recognised it as a possible solution that could be integrated with the port’s existing access control system.
Testing the software in-house
Eric Schaeffer, President of Advantech Inc., the port’s systems integrator on the TWIC project, said one of the deciding factors in using this software was the ability to test the software in-house before making a commitment. He wanted to ensure that it would integrate with the existing Pro-Watch system. “Some companies have reservations about testing before buying,” Schaeffer noted, “but HID Global was confident in their product and were comfortable with us testing it.”
Since this was one of the first implementations of pivCLASS Registration Engine software integrated with the Honeywell Pro-Watch system, Schaeffer said HID Global worked alongside Advantech to make sure everything worked as planned.
Registering TWIC FASC-N number and expiration date
For a major facility such as the Port of Wilmington, being able to enrol TWIC holders and verify their information anywhere using a mobile card reader results in a savings of security personnel, time and effort. Personnel can go where the enrolees are, rather than requiring everyone to come to a central location. The port is also able to continue to leverage its legacy physical access control system while adding in the important TWIC component.
The pivCLASS Registration Engine software allows the port to register TWIC information, such as the TWIC FASC-N number and expiration date, into the existing PACS cardholder record"
“The pivCLASS Registration Engine software allows the port to register TWIC information, such as the TWIC FASC-N number and expiration date, into the existing PACS cardholder record,” said Geri Castaldo, vice president of Business Development, Federal Identity with HID Global. “If a new person is added, Pro-Watch automatically creates a brand-new cardholder record using the information from the TWIC such as first name, last name, FASC-N, expiration date and photo.”
pivCLASS Certificate Manager
Checking against the TSA TWIC Cancelled Card List is a key benefit with the addition of HID Global’s pivCLASS Certificate Manager. The pivCLASS Certificate Manager goes out to the TSA list and re-validates the TWIC card status daily or on a user-defined schedule, so security personnel can see what has changed and react to the status of cardholders.
In the case of an elevated threat level, HID Global’s software is able to provide the additional authentication piece that would be required. If the threat level at the port is raised under the three-level MARSEC system, it can the use required use of a fixed readers with a biometric component.
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