Hirsch joins with CoreStreet for identity access control solutions

Professional Services leads Hirsch into Systems Integration

Hirsch Electronics, a leading supplier of access control and security management solutions, announces its Professional Services Group has developed a solution for verifying digital identity certificates by integrating both their Velocity Security Management System and RUU Verification Station with Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201-enabling technology from CoreStreet, a leading provider of credential validation solutions. The integration allows smart card-based identity credentials -- such as the U.S. government's Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card -- to be verified not only during a spot check at a verification station, but also in an ongoing, near real-time implementation of an access control system using registered credentials.

Hirsch traditionally sells through a dealer/installer channel, but several years ago Hirsch responded to market demands for convergence and interoperability of access control systems into the IT infrastructure by creating a business unit to deliver professional services.

According to Mark Allen, Hirsch's director of enterprise convergence solutions, which includes the Professional Services Group, "We are one of Hirsch's fastest growing business units, because we can directly and immediately respond to the customer's requests for IT centric solutions that integrate a number of third-party components into a new, unified system. CoreStreet made it easy to close the loop for checking the status of smart card certificates with their FIPS 201 Software Development Kit (SDK)."

Hirsch and CoreStreet are both leaders in applying Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology with trusted identity cards that contain secure certificates for use by logical and physical access control systems. The integrated solution from Hirsch allows a physical access control system to grant access to a cardholder at a door based on a set of authorization rules. For instance, a rule can be enforced that the server database must confirm the status of the card's certificate with the appropriate validation authorities using the Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) standard. Thus, cardholders with revoked certificates are denied access.

"Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 mandates government employees and contractors use their PIV card or DoD Common Access Card (CAC) not only for logical access to information resources but also for physical access to facilities," said Guy Vancollie, vice president marketing, CoreStreet. "Working together with a leader in access control such as Hirsch Electronics allows us to respond to civilian and defense agencies' requirements for FIPS 201 compliant converged security solutions."