NISTIR 7867 rev. 2012 Usability of PIV Smartcards for Logical Access

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) requires all Federal agencies to standardize and enhance the security of their facilities and information resources by adopting a secure multi-factor authentication (MFA) system [16]. This system employs personal identity verification (PIV) cards (a type of smartcard) and personal identification numbers (PINs). The cards are to be used for federal employee, associate, and contractor identification; physical access to federal facilities; and logical access to federal information systems. Specifications for the PIV cards and associated organizational systems are described in FIPS-201 [10]. Such PIV cards have already been widely deployed across Federal agencies (to 89 % of the Federal workforce as of the end of 2011 [12]), including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).