Centrelink has developed the Protocol for Lightweight Authentication of Identity (PLAID) smartcard authentication. The protocol is cryptographically stronger, faster and more private, than most or all equivalent protocols currently available either commercially or via existing standards. PLAID is a candidate for broad usage in Physical and Logical Access Control Systems (PACS /LACS) where the requirement for a fast, private, ID leakage proof, secure, free and extensible smartcard authentication protocol has grown significantly. When broadly implemented, the technology will have significant advantages to Government and industry in both efficiency and reduction of costs. Should multiple governments or commercial users support the same protocols there are further advantages in the use of common readers, building, key and card management systems.
Centrelink has made the intellectual property that it has developed freely available to other agencies, Governments and commercial organisations on an open, free and non-discriminatory basis. The protocol now requires market acceptance through commercial 'off the shelf' product availability. In support of this aim, Centrelink plans to:
- generate third party interest, evaluation and cooperation
- develop, propose, socialise, agree and implement standardisation strategies in consultation with third parties
- manage vendor access, feedback and licensing to ensure equality of access to PLAID intellectual property
- ensure intellectual property is available to all potential users under reasonable and free licensing arrangements, and
- encourage and support governments, their agencies, commercial end users and vendors to implement PLAID.
For more information, email plaid@servicesaustralia.gov.au.