With ACES, GSA will set up a baseline PKI

 

Connecting state and local government leaders

In its recent draft request for proposals for a digital signature infrastructure, the General Services Administration said the program would provide "the public with the ability to do business with the government electronically." Through the Access Certificates for Electronic Services buy, GSA intends to build a public-key infrastructure using commercial products. GSA's Federal Technology Service will issue the final RFP next month and award several ACES contracts later this year.

In its recent draft request for proposals for a digital signature infrastructure, the
General Services Administration said the program would provide "the public with the
ability to do business with the government electronically."


Through the Access Certificates for Electronic Services buy, GSA intends to build a
public-key infrastructure using commercial products. GSA's Federal Technology Service will
issue the final RFP next month and award several ACES contracts later this year.


But some critics of the procurement said the draft solicitation fails to address the
continuing disputes over encryption and digital signature standards.


GSA officials acknowledged that ACES will not meet every agency's requirements, but it
is a beginning.


"We're trying to kick start the effort," said Judy Spencer, GSA's ACES
program manager.


"ACES is designed to provide a way for government to communicate with its
constituents," she said. It aims to create a baseline PKI environment. Later, GSA
might opt to set up other services, Spencer said.


Vendors voiced approval of the RFP at a briefing earlier this month, she said. "We
feel pretty positive about it," Spencer said.


A Social Security Administration official familiar with ACES, who asked not to be
identified, said SSA has not decided whether it will use the contracts. But he praised GSA
for trying to get the necessary governmentwide framework in place.


"They've got to be commended for doing what they're doing," he said.


ACES will spread among agencies the cost of creating a public-key infrastructure for
digital certificates because it is too expensive for each or any one agency to design, the
official said.


"It's a start," he said. "In the end, it may evolve into something
else."


But some industry analysts and government officials said GSA is trying to accomplish
the impossible by being all things for all agencies.


"There's no one-size-fits-all approach, certainly not in security," said
Patricia N. Edfors, president of PNE Associates, a Reston, Va., security consulting
company. Until earlier this year, Edfors worked for the Government Information Technology
Services Board and was chairwoman of its Public-Key Infrastructure Committee.


"Each agency is a different animal; each agency has different [security] needs and
requirements," Edfors said. Instead of satisfying everybody, ACES could end up
pleasing nobody, she said.


But, Spencer said, "ACES is not designed to be one-size-fits-all, and we know it
won't be. We're trying to prevent a whole lot of stovepipe solutions."


No one knows whether ACES will require the use of the federal Digital Signature
Standard. The draft RFP said GSA wants agencies to use DSS or the de facto standard
developed by RSA Data Security Inc. of Redwood City, Calif. GSA would have to publish a
public notice that says it intends to waive federal standards before agencies could use
the RSA program, Edfors said.


The integral element of ACES is the Certificate Arbitrator Module. CAM would route
disparate vendor digital certificates so that all agencies could accept them. The draft
RFP said GSA will require each vendor to propose a CAM.


GSA has posted the draft RFP on the Web at http://www.gsa.gov/aces.


NEXT STORY: NIH opens a bandwidth closet

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.