How to Create a Secure Password for First Responders
The US military is the largest provider of first responder communications – and for good reason.
In the past few years I’ve written thousands of articles about communications and its importance in both emergency situations and everyday life.
But the fact is that first responders are more than communications. For the first time in their history they are also the first to go to the aid of another when they realize they are in a life or death situation. The same goes for soldiers in the field.
First responders rely on a variety of communication devices, like cellphones, radios, voice recognition devices, landline phones, and of course security cameras.
While different devices have different strengths and weaknesses, they each have one thing in common: they require a password to function. And unfortunately, that password belongs to them.
This happens to security personnel around the world as well, as they all, on average, rely on a password to access the resources they are responsible for in a secure manner.
This article will guide you through the process of creating your own password. I won’t spend time talking about the security implications of this process because that is beyond the scope of this article. But I will explain some of the advantages of using a password in the military as well as how to create a secure password.
The military is a secure organization because it provides the ability to create their own passwords for each of their personnel. There are several ways to achieve this, but I won’t go into that here.
The only thing that is different in the US is the fact that our government requires a password when they need to access your personal information. For example, if you’re trying to access your credit card information by typing in your credit card number, there’s a security hole that you’ll face.
But as a first responder, you need to be able to protect yourself online in a manner that is safe and secure, while maintaining your privacy and ensuring you can access your own personal information safely.
FirstNet Verified: Mobile biometric authentication for first responders
The first line of defence for the first responders: biometric authentication (fingerprint, thumb print or retina).
The number of devices requiring biometric authentication in fire and rescue situations is growing. To combat this, we have developed biometric devices for first responders. The devices, which utilize fingerprint, palm print or retinal retina imaging are portable and the use of retinal imagery is increasing.
Biometrics for this use are not easily obtained without the use of a trained and certified examiner and in some cases, the devices are subject to destruction or breakage. For these reasons, many of the early deployments of biometric devices were made by first responders and fire departments. Using these devices, first responders can obtain a full fingerprint, thumb print or retina image at a low cost with a high degree of confidence in the accuracy of the images.
The development of these first responder devices has not gone unnoticed. A recent example is the deployment of Mobile biometric authentication devices on the Fire Station Platform at the Northland Fire Department in Kalamazoo, MI. This device is the Fire Station Platform’s first ever validated device. The device is a two-in-one solution, which uses the Fire Station Platform’s existing fingerprint sensor and retina reader to provide fingerprint and retinal image based authentication for first responders. The Mobile Biometric Device is manufactured by Fireworks, Inc.
Download a copy of the Mobile Biometric Device Certification Guide PDF file.
The Mobile Biometric Device Certification Guide was created by the first responders at the Northland Fire Department as a service to the fire and rescue community. The certification guide is meant to provide a standard set of documents to aid in the development of biometric authentication devices and to help ensure they are deployed within the next few years. This document can be found at: Fireworks, Inc.
The Mobile Biometric Device Certification Guide: The Mobile Biometric Device Certification Guide was created by the first responders at the Northland Fire Department as a service to the fire and rescue community.
FirstNet security enabled biometrics.
FirstNet security enabled biometrics.
FirstNet uses a unique cryptographic algorithm, referred to as the FID algorithm because it is based on a fixed-point integer value that represents a public / private key pair. In order to use this public key, one must have a corresponding private key in addition to a FID. FirstNet is not able to use public key certificates by itself, as the public key must be verified using a FID.
FirstNet uses a cryptographic algorithm called NIST Standard 800-37 – Fingerprints and Face Recognition in an Information Security System, and NIST Standard 800-37-1 (“Standard 800-37: Fingerprints and Face Recognition in an Information Security System”), which is also part of the FIPS 100-1: “Federal Information Processing Standards: Computer Information and Communication Equipment Information Security Requirements,” published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication Organization (FIPSP), January 1999, and incorporated herein by reference.
In addition, FirstNet is the first ISP that uses public key cryptography with full security. This means that FirstNet can use a public key in conjunction with a private key, as defined in NIST Standard 800-37-1, to encrypt and decrypt communications. Each of the participating service providers has a unique public/private key pair, which is stored in a certificate. Using the private key is necessary because one may be able to access the public key by obtaining other parties’ public keys via electronic communication or an electronic signature.
This article describes the implementation of firstnet’s security features. It also describes how services are provided to customers.
Key Security. This is the level of security defined by NIST Standard 800-37-1. This standard defines a private / public key pair. To start an Internet session with FirstNet, one must have a corresponding public key.
Fingerprint Security. This is the level of security defined by FIPS 100-1. This standard defines a digital fingerprint with a standard pattern.
Introducing Imageware Authenticate to the FirstNet App Catalog.
Imagineware Authenticate, the leading Open Application Interoperability (OAI) 2. 0-compliant identity and access management (IAM) software, is released to the first-round of App Catalog submissions. Imagineware Authenticate is a complete, unified identity and access management (IAM) solution that can integrate any identity provider—including the leading IDPs, mobile operators, and enterprise systems—into the first-generation first-generation network. Imagineware Authenticate works with Microsoft Exchange Active Directory (Exchange AD) to provide a single access control list (ACL) across all tenants and device types. Imagineware Authenticate also provides an access-based identity provider (IBP) offering that is easy to integrate into any enterprise and provides an easy approach for consumers to obtain an identity. The product can be accessed directly from any device (including PC, laptop, tablet, or mobile device) and has a single-click installable and managed portal. It can be accessed through the OAIT Enterprise Portal, Azure Mobile Apps, Azure Mobile App Hub, and on Microsoft Azure. The company is announcing its latest App Catalog and is planning to announce several other products and services that can be used with Imagineware Authenticate, and they are scheduled to be announced in the upcoming weeks. Imagineware Authenticate is available now for free in the App Catalog. Read the Press Release: Imagineware Authenticate Announces OAI 2. 0 Identity Provider. Imagineware Authenticate, the leading Open Application Interoperability (OAI) 2. 0-compliant identity and access management (IAM) software, is released to the first-round of App Catalog submissions. Imagineware Authenticate is a complete, unified identity and access management (IAM) solution that can integrate any identity provider—including the leading IDPs, mobile operators, and enterprise systems—into the first-generation first-generation network. Imagineware Authenticate works with Microsoft Exchange Active Directory (Exchange AD) to provide a single access control list (ACL) across all tenants and device types. Imagineware Authenticate also provides an access-based identity provider (IBP) offering that is easy to integrate into any enterprise and provides an easy approach for consumers to obtain an identity.
Tips of the Day in Network Security
One of the things I like about security is that if you’re not using a good-sized network, you don’t have to deal with the hassle that comes with managing an army of servers. If you’re just a bit over-ambitious, network security doesn’t have to be difficult or boring.
The problem isn’t so much the network itself, though, as it is the number of different people who take on that responsibility because there’s the perception that it’s a very difficult and possibly dangerous job. The perception is not without foundation, though.
A few years ago I did a lot of research about why network security is so difficult. The thing that turned me to really good, very practical information was the fact that in many, many cases, a bad-ass hacker can do all of the above at the same time.
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Spread the loveThe US military is the largest provider of first responder communications – and for good reason. In the past few years I’ve written thousands of articles about communications and its importance in both emergency situations and everyday life. But the fact is that first responders are more than communications. For the first time…