What is Personal Identity Verification (PIV)?

What is Personal Identity Verification (PIV)?

PIV stands for Personal Identity Verification, which is a standard for secure and reliable identification and authentication of federal employees and contractors in the United States. PIV cards are smart cards that contain an integrated circuit chip, which stores the user's identification information and cryptographic keys used for authentication and encryption.

The PIV standard was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in response to federal mandates for improved security of government facilities and systems. The PIV standard defines the minimum requirements for secure and reliable identification and authentication of federal employees and contractors, including the use of biometric data, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, in addition to the smart card.

PIV cards are widely used by federal agencies for physical and logical access control, including access to buildings, computer networks, and secure facilities. They are also used for secure remote access, digital signatures, and encryption of sensitive data. PIV cards are considered highly secure and provide a strong level of assurance that the cardholder is who they claim to be.

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