Shared Services Model for FIDO2 Adoption in Government

This whitepaper presents a shared services model aimed at promoting the rapid adoption of Fast IDentity Online 2 (FIDO2) within the federal government. The initiative, led by Electrosoft in collaboration with the General Services Administration (GSA), seeks to enhance user authentication security by leveraging FIDO2 standards. The document outlines the iterative process of stakeholder engagement and the development of a model that simplifies FIDO2 adoption for federal agencies. It discusses the historical context of federal authentication methods, including Personal Identity Verification (PIV) and Common Access Cards (CAC), and highlights the challenges associated with implementing Derived FIDO2 Credentials (DFC). These challenges encompass technical aspects such as compliance with federal policies and interoperability issues, as well as business concerns related to governance and costs. The proposed shared services model aims to address these challenges by establishing a governance framework and a marketplace for DFC providers, thereby facilitating a more secure and efficient authentication process for federal users.