FIPS 201 / HSPD-12 / FICAM — Federal Access Control, Done Right
HSPD-12 directed a government-wide standard for secure, reliable identification of federal employees and contractors. FIPS 201 defines that credential — the PIV card — and FICAM is the framework that ties identity, credentialing and access management together. For physical access control, this means the system must authenticate the PIV/CAC credential, not just read a card number.
Strong authentication, not just a card read
A FICAM-aligned PACS validates the PIV credential cryptographically — checking the certificate and its revocation status — so a cloned or expired card is rejected. NIST SP 800-116 describes how to apply PIV in PACS and how to match authentication strength to the security area.
GSA Approved Products List
Federal PACS components — readers, controllers, validation infrastructure — should be selected from the GSA FIPS 201 Approved Products List (APL). We deploy APL-listed products and document the traceability.
From credential to door
We design the full chain: credential enrollment and issuance, certificate validation, controllers and readers, integration with the agency's identity/ICAM systems, and the door hardware — delivered to standard and documented for accreditation.
- Federal PACS must authenticate the PIV credential, not just read a card number.
- Select components from the GSA FIPS 201 Approved Products List.
- NIST SP 800-116 matches authentication strength to the security area.
Need this documented for an order?
Tell us what you need secured. We'll confirm compliance, design the system, and quote it — no payment up front.