Agency adds smart cards

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is bolstering systems security by adding

public-key infrastructure and providing smart cards to 1,500 employees.

BLS will issue most of the cards to field workers who sign in to the

agency's network remotely. Currently, remote users gain access by entering

a user ID and a password, said Rick Kryger, the agency's IT security officer.

Smart cards from Datakey Inc. and PKI technology from Entrust Technology

Inc. will enable BLS administrators to control users' network access, Kryger

said.

The new system will provide two- factor authentication, which relies

on something people have (in this case, smart cards) and something they

know (such as a password).