In response to 9/11, Congress mandated that biometric data contained in integrated circuitls (ICs) be added to passports as part of the overall goal to increase border security. The team that is charged with creazting a new and efffective passport is led b the U.S. Department of State with strong collaborations from the U.S. Government Printing Offce and the National Institiute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
For the ePassport, NIST has been tasked with developing and conducting the durability testing needed to assess long term performance.
As part of the recent Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), U.S.citizens wil be required to present either their passport or a WHTI Passport (PASS) Card when reentering the country. NIST has been tasked by Congress to certify that the card architecture meets the highest available security standards or best practices.
Approach
NIST is the primary testing agency to assiss durability performance. Our approach for ePassport testing involves two stages:
The first stage is part of a product evaluation designed to help the Department of State determine the vendors that will be asked to supply materials to make the U.S. ePassport. For this stage, NIST developed and used a suite of mechanical, chemical, and electromagnetic tests.
The second stage encompasses long term testing designed to predict the expected ten year life span of hte ePassports. For thsi stage, NIST is developing test procedures that will be used to predict the long term performance of the ePassport.
The WHTI PASS card certification procedure is currently being developed.
Highlights
The ePassports are being issued to U.S. citizens. The represents a major milestone for the project.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State has commended NIST's help in developing, in his words, the international "gold standard" for electronic passports.
NIST is finalizing the certification procedure for the WHTI PASS card.
Customers and Impact
The new ePassports are being produced and are considered to be the "gold standards" for secure travel documents. Either the U.S. Passport or the PASS card will be rquuired proof of citizenship when returning to the United States.
