Access to secure facilities using the Transport Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)

The customer

The US Transport Security Administration (TSA) is the federal agency responsible for security in all modes of transportation. Joint customer for the project is The United States Coast Guard (USCG), a branch of the United States armed forces and one of seven uniformed services.

The challenge

The customer wished to issue a tamper-resistant biometric credential to maritime workers requiring access to secure port facilities and vessels. To obtain a Transport Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), an applicant must provide biographic and biometric (fingerprint) information, sit for a digital photograph and successfully pass a security threat assessment conducted by the TSA.

A key customer desire was to follow US Government Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) standards, to achieve interoperability and implement best practice security processes.


Requirements included:

  • Use of FIPS 201 (PIV) compatible technology and processes
  • Combined centralized production with local card activation
  • Over 160 distributed enrollment and activation centers throughout the US
  • Integration with central card personalization bureau for secure printing
  • Fingerprint verification of applicant prior to card activation
  • Integration with central identity management infrastructure
  • Multi-application card combining contact and contactless technology
  • Strong authentication of operators and non-repudiation of operator actions

The MyID® solution

MyID is passed registration data from an IDMS and formats it into a card personalization request; this is forwarded to the personalization bureau. Printed cards are locked and sent to activation locations. The receipt of a card batch is used to trigger a notification to the applicant that their card is ready for activation. The applicant visits an activation location, places their card into a MyID activation station and follows a simple self-service workflow that requires biometric verification before the card is unlocked, personalized with certificates and activated for use.

Solution benefits

  • Production of PIV compatible credentials
  • Biometric authentication of applicants for high security
  • Smart card PKI security for operator actions
  • Multi server deployment for high availability
  • Load balanced deployment for high volume throughput
  • Simple web-based workflows for maximum ease of use
  • Monitoring of card production status from a single console
  • Bureau high security printing combined with on-card key generation for maximum security

Download Report

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The US Transport Security Administration (TSA) wanted to issue a tamper-resistant biometric credential to maritime workers requiring access to secure port facilities and vessels. A key requirement was to follow US government Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) standards, to achieve interoperability and implement best practice security processes.Read More

The NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT) was an initiative to create a single central electronic care record for patients, accessed via ‘the spine’; a set of national services accessible by medical professionals. The NHS wished to ensure that all data and services accessed via the spine were secured via strong authentication and best practice identity management.Read More

The Public Authority for Civil Information - Kuwait (PACI) had already issued paper-based identification documents and wished to migrate to a highly secure smart card based solution. MyID was implemented to act as a single management system for all national identity card operations.Read More