Access Control Council
The Secure Technology Alliance Access Control Council focuses on accelerating the widespread acceptance, use, and application of secure technologies in various physical and digital form factors for physical and logical access control as applicable to both persons and non-person entities. The group brings together, in an open forum, thought leaders, manufacturers, and implementers from both the public and private sectors. The Council identifies topical areas which further the use of technologies that are important to the access control community.
To continue to advance the use of secure technologies in access control, the Council’s activities include:
- Developing white papers and briefings on best practices for use of secure technologies in both physical and logical access control
- Providing expert resources to assist:
- With the understanding and implementation of secure technologies to accomplish multi-factor authentication
- Governmental and non-governmental organizations in the use of standards-based identity, authentication, and authorization technologies for logical and physical access control
- Organizations in the use of biometrics for authentication
- Participating in the development of standards and specifications for using secure technology in physical and logical access control systems
- Collaborating with other industry and government organizations to influence standards and develop best practices
- Providing subject matter experts for various speaking engagements
Download description of Council mission, activities and membership.
Access Control Council Resources
Biometrics
- Smart Cards and Biometrics, Access Control Council Council white paper, March 2011
Commercial Access Control
- Guide Specification for Architects and Engineers for Smart Card-based PACS Cards and Readers for Non-government PACS, Access Control Council resource, April 2015
Commercial Identity Verification
- A Comparison of PIV, PIV-I and CIV Credentials, Access Control Council brief, February 2012
- The Commercial Identity Verification (CIV) Credential–Leveraging FIPS 201 and the PIV Specifications, Access Control Council white paper, October 2011
- Using Mobile Devices for Physical Access Control, Access Control Council and Identity Council white paper, May 2021
Government Identity Verification
- FIPS 201 and Physical Access Control: An Overview of the Impact of FIPS 201 on Federal Physical Access Control Systems, Smart Card Alliance Access Control Council white paper, October 2005
- FIPS 201 PIV II Card Use with Physical Access Control Systems: Recommendations to Optimize Transaction Time and User Experience, May 2007
- Government Identity/Credentialing Resources, references and resources for organizations implementing identity credentialing programs
- GSA Physical Access Control System Guide, GSA publication with contributions from Access Control Council resources and members
- Industry Recommendations for Implementing PIV Credentials with Physical Access Control Systems: A Quick Guide to Implementing Essential NIST SP 800-116 R1 Requirements, Access Control Council white paper, May 2019
- How to Plan, Procure and Deploy a PIV-Enabled Physical Access Control System: Six Part Webinar Series recordings
- Personal Identity Verification Interoperability (PIV-I) for Non-Federal Issuers: Trusted Identities for Citizens across States, Counties, Cities and Businesses, Access Control Council and Identity Council white paper, February 2011
- PIV Card/Reader Challenges with Physical Access Control Systems: A Field Troubleshooting Guide, Access Control Council and Identity Council white paper, October 2012
- PIV-I for Non-Federal Issuers Webinar, NASCIO and Smart Card Alliance webinar, March 17, 2011
- Supporting the PIV Application in Mobile Devices with the UICC, Smart Card Alliance white paper, June 2013
- Temporary Identity Credentials for Federal Agency Physical Access Control Systems (PACS), Access Control Council white paper, March 2020
- Using FIPS 201 and the PIV Card for the Corporate Enterprise, October 2008
- What May be Next in the World of Access Control, Access Control Webinar Series, April 2022
Identity Management
- FICAM in Brief: A Smart Card Alliance Summary of the Federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management (FICAM) Roadmap and Implementation Guidance, Smart Card Alliance Identity Council and Access Control Council summary, May 2010
Industry Comments
- Smart Card Alliance Commentary: OMB Circular A-130 – Managing Information as a Strategic Resource (link to new page), Access Control Council industry comments, September 2016
- Smart Card Alliance Comments: TWIC Reader Requirements, Access Control Council industry response, June 2013
Logical Access
- Strong Authentication Using Smart Card Technology for Logical Access, Access Control Council white paper, November 2012
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
- TWIC® Card/Reader Use with Physical Access Control Systems: A Field Troubleshooting Guide, Access Control Council white paper, May 2018
See other Secure Technology Alliance publications on smart card-based access control applications
Council Management
The Access Control Council is managed by a combined government/industry steering committee.
Steering Committee officers are:
- Chair: Lars Suneborn, Identification Technology Partners
- Secretary: William Windsor, IDEMIA
Current steering committee members are:
- Mark Dale, XTec, Inc.
- Christophe Goyet, IDEMIA
- Daryl Hendricks, GSA
- Mike Kelley, Parsons
- Roger Roehr, Integrated Security Technologies, Inc.
- Steve Rogers, IQ Devices
- Lars Suneborn, Identification Technology Partners
- William Windsor, IDEMIA
- Mike Zercher, Secure Element Solutions
Council Membership
The Access Control Council includes participants from across the smart card and access control system industry, including end users; smart card chip, card, software and reader vendors; physical and logical access control systems vendors; and integration service providers. Access Control Council participation is open to any Secure Technology Alliance member who wishes to contribute to the Council projects.
The Secure Technology Alliance recognizes the top three individual contributors in each of the industry councils and the council “honor roll” – the individuals who were leading contributors and participants in the council projects and activities.
Secure Technology Alliance members who are currently active in the Access Control Council include:
- Brian Stein, LLC
- Datawatch Systems
- Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC)
- DualAuth
- Exponent
- Giesecke+Devrient
- General Services Administration
- GET Group NA
- HID Global
- IDEMIA
- Identification Technology Partners
- Identiv
- Integrated Security Technologies
- Intercede
- IQ Devices
- Jacobs
- NextgenID, Inc.
- NXP Semiconductors
- Parsons
- Secure Element Solutions LLC
- SigNet Technologies, Inc.
- Thales DIS USA, Inc.
- Tyco Software House
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Visa, Inc.
- Wells Fargo
- XTec, Incorporated
For more information about the Access Control Council or for more information on becoming a member of the Alliance, please contact the Alliance office via email at [email protected] or via telephone at (800) 556-6828.