secunet establishes central certification authority for the German Federal Police

07.02.12

[Essen, 7 February 2012] secunet won the German Federal Police's tender to establish the central certification authority for national border posts. The so-called DVCA (Document Verifying Certification Authority) provides central certificates that are necessary to check electronic identity documents at national border control posts.

The data saved electronically in current identity documents, such as the new German ID card (nPA), are protected against unauthorized access by technical measures. In order to access data at checkpoints, the reading devices used by border officials must be equipped with the digital certificates issued by the Federal Police. secunet was commissioned to set up the required DVCA to generate these certificates.

The certificates generated by the DVCA are transmitted to the Terminal Control Center (TCC). The TCC performs the cryptographic functions and key management for the connected border control posts and the partially automated EasyPASS border control at Frankfurt airport.

secunet already implemented the Terminal Control Center on behalf of the German Federal Office for Information Security and developed a border control application to read electronic identity documents at the German border. secunet developed and implemented essential parts of the German border control infrastructure for electronic identity documents.