Special Publication 800-116 A Recommendation for the Use of PIV Credentials in PACS
Cardholder Unique Identifier (CHUID): A FIPS 201 authentication mechanism that is
implemented by transmission of the CHUID data object from the PIV Card to PACS, or the PIV
Card data object of the same name.
Certificate: A data object containing a subject identifier, a public key, and other information,
that is digitally signed by a Certification Authority. Certificates convey trust in the relationship
of the subject identifier to the public key.
Cloning: In this publication, a process to create a verbatim copy of a PIV Card, or a partial copy
sufficient to perform one or more authentication mechanisms as if it were the original card.
Contact Reader: A smart card reader that communicates with the Integrated Circuit chip in a
smart card using electrical signals on wires touching the smart card’s contact pad. The PIV
contact interface is standardized by International Organization of Standards / International
Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 7816-3. [ISO/IEC7816]
Contactless Reader: A smart card reader that communicates with the Integrated Circuit chip in
a smart card using radio frequency (RF) signaling. The PIV contactless interface is standardized
by ISO/IEC 14443. [ISO/IEC14443]
Controller (or Control Panel, or Panel): A device located within the secure area that
communicates with multiple PIV Card readers and door actuators, and with the Head End
System. The PIV Card readers provide cardholder information to the Controller, which it uses to
make access control decisions and release door locking mechanisms. The Controller
communicates with the Head End System to receive changes in access permissions, report
unauthorized access attempts and send audit records and other log information. Most modern
controllers can continue to operate properly during periods of time in which communication with
the Head End is disrupted and can journal transactions so that they can be reported to the Head
End when communication is restored.
Counterfeiting: In this publication, the creation of a fake ID card that can perform one or more
authentication mechanisms, without copying a legitimate card (see Cloning).
Credential: In this publication, a collection of information about a person, attested to by an
issuing authority. A credential may be a physical artifact (e.g., a PIV Card) or a data object
(e.g., a certificate). One or more data object credentials may be stored on the same physical
memory device (e.g., a smart card).
Credential Validation: The process of determining if a credential is valid, i.e., it was
legitimately issued, its activation date has been reached, it has not expired, it has not been
tampered with, and it has not been terminated, suspended, or revoked by the issuing authority.
Digital Signature: A data object produced by a digital signature method, such as Rivest, Shamir,
Aldeman (RSA) or the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), that when verified
provides strong evidence of the origin and integrity of the signed data object.
Federal Agency Smart Credential Number (FASC-N): As required by FIPS 201, the primary
identifier on the PIV Card for physical access control. The FASC-N is a fixed length (25 byte)
data object, specified in [TIG SCEPACS], and included in several data objects on a PIV Card.
FASC-N Identifier: The FASC-N shall be in accordance with [TIG SCEPACS]. A subset of
FASC-N, a FASC-N Identifier, is a unique identifier as described in [TIG SCEPACS]. Section
2.1, 10
th
paragraph of [TIG SCEPACS] states “For full interoperability of a PACS it must at a
minimum be able to distinguish fourteen digits (i.e., a combination of an Agency Code, System
Code, and Credential Number) when matching FASC-N based credentials to enrolled card
holders.” Also, Section 6.6, 3
rd
paragraph of [TIG SCEPACS] states, “The combination of an
Agency Code, System Code, and Credential Number is a fully qualified number that is uniquely
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