FIDO Standards Could Complement PIV: White Paper

The FIDO Alliance is hoping that the Trump administration will heed its advice in a new white paper outlining how FIDO standards could complement existing digital security protocols in use by the government.

It’s a response to last December’s report from the US Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, which advocated for stronger authentication methods beyond the government’s PKI-based PIV standards. As a white paper summary explains, while “PIV remains the gold-standard for authentication” in the US government, FIDO standards could offer additional support, allowing for the issuance of a public/private key pair in some situations, and offering an inexpensive yet secure authentication option for individuals who aren’t required to get PIV credentials.

With high-profile backers like Google and Facebook, and over 300 products now adhering to its standards, FIDO is in a better position than ever to make this case. There’s also better reason than ever for the Trump administration to listen, inasmuch as it is seeking a rational policy approach to growing digital security threats.