How the US TSA
secured its workforce
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the federal agency responsible for security in all modes of transportation.
The deployment in numbers
Secure identities for US transportation workers
Maritime workers need a tamper-resistant biometric credential to reach secure port facilities and vessels. To obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), an applicant provides biographic and fingerprint data, sits for a digital photograph and passes a security threat assessment conducted by the agency.
The agency set out to meet US Government Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) standards, achieve interoperability with other federal identity systems and apply best practice security processes across the programme.
A tamper-resistant biometric credential, issued to HSPD-12 standards
The agency set out to meet US Government Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) standards, achieve interoperability with other federal identity systems and apply best practice security processes across the programme
FIPS 201 PIV technology
Centralised production, local activation
160+ enrolment centres
Bureau integration for secure printing
Multi-application card combining contact and contactless technology
Strong authentication of operators and non-repudiation of operator actions
One platform, from registration to an activated card
MyID CMS PIV sits inside the agency’s federal identity management solution and provides a single software platform that takes a transportation worker from identity registration through to a personalised, activated smart card.
Centralised processing
MyID software is passed registration data from the IDMS and formats it into a card personalisation request, which is forwarded to the personalisation bureau.
Distributed activation
printed cards are locked and sent to activation locations. The receipt of a card batch triggers notification to the applicant that their card is ready.
Biometric self-service 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, personalised with certificates and activated for use.
Access enforcement
without a TWIC card transport workers cannot gain access to secure facilities and networks.
Two million TWIC cards issued, live in three months
MyID issues and activates TWIC smart cards for transportation workers through a central bureau and over 160 self-service activation centres, scaled across multiple servers to a peak of 10,000 cards per day. The solution went from order to live production in three months, and has since issued over 2 million cards and 8 million certificates.
Proven at federal scale
over 2 million cards and 8 million certificates issued to date, at a peak of 10,000 cards per day, delivered from order to live production in three months, across more than 160 enrolment and activation centres.
Reliable and user-friendly
multi-server deployment for high availability, simple web-based workflows requiring minimal operator training, enabling end users to self-serve.
Secure
biometric authentication of TWIC applicants, combined with high-security printing with on-card key generation for maximum security.
Compliant
a FIPS 201 compliant solution producing PIV-compatible (TWIC / CIV) credentials, with keys generated on the card at activation.
The platform behind the deployment
Intercede is a cybersecurity software company and the digital identity experts. For over 25 years, Intercede has helped government agencies, defence programmes, financial institutions and enterprises deploy phishing-resistant digital identities at scale.
The MyID product family, MyID CMS, MyID MFA and MyID PSM, manages millions of credentials across more than 20 countries. Vendor-neutral architecture means MyID integrates with virtually any certificate authority, hardware security module or smart card manufacturer, without organisations replacing existing infrastructure.