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SPYRUS PKI Case Studies - Florida Criminal Justice System Finds Arresting Solution for Sharing Information
"The SPYRUS solution will promote a greater level of confidence within the statewide criminal justice community, encouraging organizations to share more information more freely, which will benefit everyone." - Tom Watkins, Chief of Production Systems Services, FDLE
During the early days of CJNet, security was maintained by the physical presence of access terminals in secure buildings and by very strict router definitions built into the network. As the number of CJNet users and databases of information grew, so did concern over authorized access to sensitive data. While much of the information was available to CJNet users at large, other information was only appropriate for a subset of users, such as drivers license photo ID files. In early 1998, the FDLE began investigating ways to ensure access to authorized personnel.
Justice and Secure Access for All
The FDLE teamed with Federal agencies to find a solution that would maximize accessibility without compromising security. Three key criteria were established. First, it had to be standardsbased to avoid rapid obsolescence and to provide flexibility in hardware and software choice. Second, it should be a product that could be readily implemented, not one still on the drawing board. Finally, it had to be manageable and easy to "sell" to users. "The old key management systems I was familiar with in the Air Force were much too burdensome to work in today's environment," said Tom Watkins, Chief of Production Systems Services with the FDLE.
The team reviewed products from a number of suppliers, and selected the SPYRUS PKI in the end. The SPYRUS PKI met the requirements for a solution that was standards-based, easily managed, and deliverable now. It was shown to be more flexible and cost effective and, through the Programmable Policy Module, enabled scalable deployment—a very important capability when considering the potential number of PKI users on CJNet. In anticipation of network-wide rollout, the FDLE has purchased an PKI license for 10,000 seats. The Programmable Policy Module would also allow them to enforce customer-specific certificate policies. SPYRUS PKI is a high-assurance Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) solution built for large corporate and government enterprises around the world. The SPYRUS PKI is the most technologically advanced PKI available for building the foundation enterprises need to implement electronic business functions. The core of the architecture is built on industry standards and recognized security technologies. It is designed for easy integration with applications for intranet, extranet, and Internet environments and enables Web-based authentication out of the box using commercial desktop products from Microsoft and Netscape. Selecting SPYRUS provided Watkins another benefit. "The people at SPYRUS have really responded to our requests. They are truly interested in making this deployment successful." He added, "When implemented, the SPYRUS solution will promote a greater level of confidence within the statewide criminal justice community, encouraging organizations to share more information more freely, which will benefit everyone."
A Moving Target
While the CJNet is being managed at the state level, the true beneficiaries are users at the county level. Monroe county has become a leader in promoting information sharing on CJNet. Stretching from Key West to Florida City, the county faces many unique criminal justice challenges. "It is not uncommon for individuals from Dade county (Miami) or Broward county (to the west of Dade) to commit crimes down here," says Terry Armstrong, Director of Information Management for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. "Getting to information from those counties, such as arrest records and warrants, can be essential in carrying out our duties. CJNet allows us to quickly and easily access Dade county databases, and them to access ours."
Armstrong has taken information access mobile. Fifteen of the county's patrol vehicles have already been equipped with cellular communication and laptop computers that give officers instant access to CJNet while on the road. Plans are already in place for many more vehicles to be equipped as funding becomes available. Because of the accessibility of laptops in vehicles and the need for often highly sensitive information, Armstrong required a mechanism to ensure authorized access. The solution was SPYRUS Rosetta smart cards.
Security on the Road
The size and shape of a credit card, the Rosetta smart cards provide user identification/remote access for secure entry to data. Users simply insert their smart card into a reader and enter a PIN number. The Rosetta smart cards is an ISO 7816-compliant public key, multi-application smart card. It features high-assurance security techniques to safely separate applications from crypto data, public key cryptographic techniques for industrystandard sign/verify operations, and advanced operating system and chip features. When implemented in vehicles, the Rosetta smart cards will give officers immediate access to sensitive databases via CJNet. "Smart cards will enable smart law enforcement, increasing the efficiency of the criminal justice system and providing a better return on investment for Florida tax payers," said Armstrong.
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