For Immediate Release
August 3, 2005
|
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
|
FBI COMPLETES ITS PUBLIC KEY INFRASTRUCTURE
PROGRAM
WHICH PAVES THE WAY FOR ENHANCED SECURITY
CAPABILITIES
IN FUTURE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS
Washington, DC -- The FBI announced that it has
successfully completed deployment of its Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
The deployment of PKI is critical to the FBI's Sentinel program, as PKI's
enhanced security features enable the FBI to move towards an automated, paperless
case management system, which further enables information sharing with law
enforcement partners and members of the Intelligence Community.
PKI was deployed to 33,000 desktop computers
and has made advanced security features available to 28,000 FBI employees,
taskforce members, and contract employees. This deployment was made possible
through an effective partnership between FBI management and PKI contractor
Northrop-Grumman Information Technology and its subcontractors PEC, Entrust,
and BAE. Through this partnership, the PKI capability was delivered ahead of
schedule and under budget.
PKI provides individuals with a Digital
Identity, eliminating the need for "wet" signature hard copies. This
new capability allows for digital signature approval, which further supports
the FBI's goal of developing Sentinel, a fully automated information management
system.
PKI also provides more robust security
safeguards through enhanced encryption. It protects the FBI's computer systems
and the information stored on them by requiring users to prove their identity
twice, through the use of their smartcard and personal password. The smartcard
also unites the FBI through a single identification card FBI-wide and serves
as an access card to FBI facilities.
The FBI's Chief Information Officer, Zalmai
Azmi stated: "PKI technology provides the FBI with the access control
necessary to protect critical systems and crucial information. This security
technology was a pre-requisite for our Sentinel program and further enhances
our ability to efficiently make information available to those in need."
The FBI's Sentinel program will follow the
program management guidelines that facilitated the successful completion of the
PKI program. The FBI is now deploying PKI to its international locations.
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