For immediate release
Within the next year, a U.S. Defense Department pilot project aims at developing a prototype system to authenticate a mobile user’s identity through individualistic characteristics such as gait, routines and typing cadence. The system also is expected to develop a trust score to help determine a user’s level of physical and virtual access. Ultimately, the approach would benefit warfighters who may not have ability to provide fingerprints, employ facial recognition scans or engage other traditional biometrics.
In an article in this month’s issue of SIGNAL Magazine, Executive Editor George I. Seffers describes some of the elements of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) work. Agency officials remain mum on the specifics because they expect a contract award this summer.
But Capt. Jeffrey Buss, USN, chief technology officer, Cyber Development Directorate, DISA, revealed that ideally the system also would provide a means to develop a trust score with a very high probability of confidence. This capability particularly would benefit cybersecurity. “From an authentication and authorization standpoint, it greatly aids us in our ability to identify users on the network,” Capt. Buss says.
Officials also emphasize the need for strong encryption to complement patterns of life authentication. “We’re talking about other elements or other authentication factors that may potentially supplement that [public key infrastructure] credential as that first initial step to where we may evolve in the future for authenticating users,” the captain states.
Jeremy Corey, DISA’s assured identity program manager and leader of the agency’s Cyber Development Innovation Cell, says the agency is interested in prototyping a specific type of technology quickly. “So in the next 12 months, I think you’re going to see that technology really evolve,” he reports.
New ways of verifying identities will be one topic of discussion at the Federal Identity Forum, which takes place September 12-14 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. Speakers will include Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Rep. David Schweikert and Google’s Director of Product Management Mark Risher.
The AFCEA Homeland Security Conference will be co-located with the forum. Speaker and panel topics will include border security, insider threat/homegrown terrorism, human capital initiatives and IT security challenges. Among the speakers will be Vice Adm. Sandra Stosz, USCG, deputy commandant for mission support, U.S. Coast Guard; Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, DHS; and Chip Fulghum, deputy undersecretary for management, DHS.
Read “DISA Moves Beyond Conventional Biometrics” online. Media interested in covering the events should contact Maryann Lawlor.
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