Kimberly Weissman

Senior Communication Advisor
DHS/U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Submitted: August 25, 2020

What is your role in the federal identity community?

I serve as the Senior Communication Advisor for the Biometric Entry/Exit program at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). I advise CBP leadership who oversee the Entry/Exit program on communication strategies and outreach. With more than 20 years of federal service specializing in Public Affairs and stakeholder outreach, I have spent the majority of my career educating and informing various audiences, including the press, public, and key stakeholders, about the benefits of expanding facial comparison technology into the travel process through public-private partnerships to further secure and enhance the customer experience.

How does FedID help you succeed?

This event is a great opportunity to bring together government, industry, and academia to have collaborative discussions on a range of topics with experts and leaders in the identity management community. By having an interactive forum, we can work towards addressing challenges in the identity space, share best practices, and explore opportunities for new partnerships.

What are you most looking forward to at FedID?

There is an important and ongoing public discussion about the costs and benefits of biometric and intelligence technologies. This discussion needs to include diverse viewpoints. This type of constructive engagement at Fed ID can lead to a coordinated government strategy to ensure that our use of these technologies serves the public interest.

What do you feel are some of the most challenging issues that need to be addressed when it comes to expanding technologies like face biometrics?

Privacy is a core requirement that must be built into the planning of a facial biometric program from the beginning and continually assessed each step of the way. Given the amount of misinformation out there, communication and transparency are key success factors and essential to gain the public’s trust and confidence that their data will be protected and secured from misuse. By maintaining an open dialogue and creating opportunities for discussion with key stakeholders, we can build support and show the value and benefits of technologies like facial biometrics to secure and streamline identity verification.

Combiz Abdolrahimi

Emerging Technology & Innovation Leader
Deloitte Consulting

Submitted: August 14, 2020

What is your role in the federal identity community?

As Deloitte’s Emerging Technology & Innovation Leader, I partner with federal, state, and local government agencies and international governments and work with them to drive the strategy, design, prototyping, and implementation of digital identity solutions. I serve as an identity SME and help government agencies to realize their mission modernization and digital transformation goals by integrating essential government services and enabling end-to-end public service delivery via digital identity systems. I sit on a number of boards involved with identity issues, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Blockchain Expert Policy Advisory Board—that involves multiple countries, and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Trade Finance Advisory Council.

How does FedID help you succeed?

FedID is the only forum that provides a truly collaborative & educational environment where government, industry, and academia come together to solve some of the federal government’s toughest identity challenges. FedID has helped me to keep my finger on the pulse on many of the key issues impacting federal identity credentialing and access management across all mission spaces. It is the must-attend government identity forum of the year!

What are you most looking forward to at FedID?

I’m looking forward to hearing about all the latest developments, innovations, initiatives, and pressing issues impacting identity in the federal government.

How is emerging technology impacting identity management?

A number of new technologies have emerged over the past few years that are helping governments to improve identity management, enabling dramatic leaps in service quality and realizing massive efficiency gains, as well as driving economic and social inclusion by providing people with access to healthcare and other government services. Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, RPA, and biometrics are helping to provide rapid authentication and verification from onboarding, screening, vetting, and credentialing services to establishing trusted identities. As these digital technologies, including AI, continue to mature and become increasingly integrated into identity solutions, it’s important to for all of us to work together – government, industry, and academia – to ensure we build digital identity systems that are ubiquitous, secure, accessible, user controlled, portable, and inclusive. This has become even more pressing as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made apparent the need for governments and organizations to expand their digital footprint to serve the people in a more streamlined and robust manner.

Carole House

Cyber and Emerging Tech Policy Specialist
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network

Submitted: July 6, 2020

What is your role in the federal identity community?

I serve as the lead for cyber and emerging technology policy at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the U.S. financial intelligence unit and administrator of the U.S. anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regulatory framework. Identity sits as the core of any effective AML/CFT framework. Financial institutions often use innovative identity solutions to comply with their AML/CFT obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act, including “know your customer” requirements, to help identify and prevent money laundering, terrorism financing, and other financial crime exploiting the U.S. financial sector. At FinCEN, I have the opportunity to help safeguard that framework and explore with law enforcement, regulator, and industry partners how identity can protect our national security.

How does FedID help you succeed?

FedID provides an opportunity to bring together innovators and identity mission leaders across the U.S. government, academia, and industry to examine the challenges and future for identity services. This conference provides identity ecosystem stakeholders a forum focused on exploring the holistic U.S. government equities in identity, whether in managing identity on their own systems and networks, managing citizen-facing services and identity information, investigating illicit actors, or establishing identity-related controls for industry, including regulations.

What are you most looking forward to at FedID?

I am most looking forward to collaborative discussions on how to transform U.S. government and industry approaches to better secure and foster innovation in the identity ecosystem. Agencies like FinCEN are actively seeking out opportunities to discuss the specific challenges that industry is looking to us to address to enable adoption of innovative identity solutions. We hope that participants come equipped to the conference with ideas and energy to fuel candid discussions around the issues!

What roles do regulation and investigations of illicit actors serve within the identity community?

Regulations, whether for the financial sector or others, can establish the U.S. government’s expectations for critical industries to help safeguard the public good and U.S. national security. Identity sits at the crux of both public good and national security. U.S. government agencies like FinCEN want to protect privacy, liberties, and benefits for U.S. persons while ensuring the ability to identify and investigate illicit actors when needed. This balance between guarded security and necessary transparency accountability is a critical factor for all identity stakeholders as identity ecosystems continue to evolve. FinCEN’s regulations implementing the Bank Secrecy Act require financial institutions to collect and report certain information, including identity information, to assist in tracing money laundering and terrorist financing flows. Understanding who is operating through your financial institution is not just for the government, it is an important part of institutions evaluating risks to themselves and their customers, whether regulatory or reputational.

Art Friedman

Information Assurance Strategist
Defense Information Systems Agency

Submitted: June 23, 2020

What is your role in the federal identity community?

As a Department of Defense (DoD) employee detailed to the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), I provide strategic guidance to their Cyber Development Directorate primarily focused on Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) enterprise capabilities. Additionally, I co-chair the Committee for National Security Systems (CNSS) ICAM Working Group providing policy guidance for the Intelligence Community, DoD, and civilian agencies responsible for protecting National Security Systems.

How does FedID help you succeed?

FedID provides a collaborative environment to share the latest federal policies and technologies dealing with all aspects of digital identity and biometrics. Additionally, this venue has the opportunity to influence national strategies and policies dealing these technologies.

What are you most looking forward to at FedID?

I’m excited to hear about the latest digital identity technologies and learn how they are being used in both the federal government and private sector. I’m also looking forward reconnecting with my federal partners and making new acquaintances.

What should Feds know about ICAM policies for National Security Systems?

The Committee for National Security Systems (CNSS), governed by National Security Directive 42, established an Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) Working Group. The latest policy waiting for approval addresses the U.S. government SECRET Fabric. CNSS Directive 507, National Directive for Identity, Credential, and Access Management Capabilities (ICAM) on the United States (US) Federal Secret Fabric, is expected to be approved for use this fiscal year. This policy supplements OMB Memo 19-17, ICAM policy for federal systems, as well as promotes interoperability for the Secret fabric.

Tracy Hulver

Vice President
Idemia

Submitted: June 9, 2020

What is your role in the federal identity community?

As Director of Business Development at IDEMIA, I focus on helping government agencies establish effective identity management strategies to increase and secure government-to-citizen access and transactions. I work closely with federal and state organizations to assist in identifying how they can reduce fraud and eliminate unauthorized access while at the same time opening up more online services and benefits to all citizens regardless of their demographic or socioeconomic status.

How does FedID help you succeed?

FedID provides an amazing forum to meet and interact with people that have similar objectives and challenges; to exchange ideas and lessons learned; to discuss emerging technologies with both government and industry leaders and to hear how government and the private sector are working together to solve real-world identity problems.

What are you most looking forward to at FedID?

I always like to hear the progress agencies have made and the unique challenges still facing government around deploying and managing identity systems, especially when it comes to government-to-citizen identity. FedID brings a unique audience together of people who have both solved identity challenges and ones that are in the process of determining how best to address these problems. I get to hear real-world situations that government is facing from regulatory requirements to procurement hurdles. FedID also encourages participation and partnerships between government and private industry in the attendees, participants, keynotes and vendor showcase. I always leave FedID with a greater appreciation of the challenges facing government and a better understanding of how I can help agencies achieve their operating objectives and thus, at least in a small way, help citizens get access to the services and benefits they need in a trusted way.

What do you feel is government’s role in helping to establish a citizen’s digital identity?

Government plays an important role in helping to establish a person’s identity. However, as bad actors continue to deploy ever more sophisticated methods to impersonate citizens in order to gain access to services, benefits and PII, more defensive mechanisms need to be utilized in helping protect the citizen and the government. And as these threats increase so does the government’s desire to offer more services online so citizens can accomplish their transactions remotely. This need to open more government services through a digital channel is only going to accelerate in the wake of COVID 19. To accomplish this, there are many questions that need to be considered such as: How can the government safely and securely use its information to help prove someone’s identity? Which government agencies are in the best position to utilize the information they have collected about the citizen for attribute validation? Is the state or the federal government better suited to provide citizen identification – or a combination of both? Once an identity is established, how can other entities utilize and trust the fidelity of the digital credential? And the list goes on. The good news is that these answers are actively being discussed and in some cases, technology innovation is being deployed that helps government with these complicated but necessary tasks. FedID provides a fantastic forum to listen, learn and exchange ideas around achieving the mission of providing high-trust, easy-to-use, digital credentials to all citizens.

Mahos Bourlai

Associate Professor
West Virginia University

Submitted: April 29, 2020

What is your role in the federal identity community?

I am an associate professor in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Engineering at WVU. I am also serving as an adjunct assistant professor in the WVU School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, and the Department of Forensic and Investigative Science. I am the founder and director of the Multi-Spectral Imagery Lab and the new Vice President on Education of the IEEE Biometrics Council. I have an active research program in the field of biometrics, machine and deep learning and an active role in human identity related conferences.

How does FedID help you succeed?

FedID is an excellent opportunity to network with some of the top professionals in our federal government, the industry, and academia. The conference presents quick paced, informative sessions focused on topics critical to identity professionals. It also provides a constructive environment, where participants can enjoy information sharing, planning, and analysis on current and future needs and requirements.

What are you most looking forward to at FedID?

It is very exciting to be holding FedID in a new city. It is also invigorating to able to participate in dynamic venues, including presentation tracks, workshops and exhibitions, with continuous opportunities for collaboration and relationship building. I am looking forward to contributing to the team in various roles, as a session moderator or a speaker, and being able to support the plethora of needs of the organization team throughout the event.

What will academics learn at FedID that will benefit their research or teaching?

Attending FedID is an opportunity for academics to build networks with other identity experts from all around the world, being engaged in the same or similar field of work. It gives the opportunity to share thoughts on recent advances and technological breakthroughs in the field of human identification. The combination of networking, participation in brainstorming discussions, and presentations from experts can benefit both the research and teaching activities of any academic working in the field.

Scott Rago

Section Chief, CJIS Division
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Submitted: April 15, 2020

What is your role in the federal identity community?

I provide executive management to the Biometric Services Section (BSS) of the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The BSS provides biometric based identification services, noncriminal justice background checks, and investigative support to law enforcement agencies. The BSS leverages the functionality of the Next Generation Identification (NGI) System, which serves as the national repository for tenprint fingerprint, latent, palm, face, and iris images, to support federal, state, local, tribal, and international criminal justice and authorized noncriminal justice agencies. The BSS promotes continuous biometric research and employs strategic quality improvement techniques to meet the ever-increasing demands placed upon law enforcement and national security efforts. Central to the mission of the BSS is the development and maintenance of interagency frameworks that support biometric and identity information sharing to safeguard national security. This is accomplished by the BSS ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of its biometric products and services.

How does FedID help you succeed?

FedID provides a collaborative forum for United States Government and private sector entities to identify methods to maximize information sharing and to address biometric issues of mutual interest.

What are you most looking forward to at FedID?

I am most looking forward to discussions regarding the legal and ethical use of biometric identification platforms and educating attendees about the manner in which these systems are leveraged in authorized ways by the FBI to ensure the protection of the public.

What role do standards and best practices serve within the federal identity community?

Standards and best practices within the identity arena serve to ensure identification systems are operating at maximum effectiveness. For example, efficient information sharing is accomplished by leveraging international standard communication protocols and requiring compliance with nationally recognized biometric image quality specifications. This enhances mission success for everyone within the federal identity community.

Diane Stephens

Biometrics Standards Coordinator
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Submitted: March 31, 2020

What is your role in the federal identity community?

I am the Biometrics Standards Coordinator and editor of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)-Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial & Other Biometric Information ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2011 (Update 2015) biometric standards document. This document is also referred to as NIST Special Publication 500-290.

How does FedID help you succeed?

While the federal identity community has continued to grow, so has the need to establish and verify identities. Understanding identity data and their formats, and adhering to standards when collecting and storing data, enables the community to share mission critical information utilizing interoperable systems. An event such as FedID is the perfect opportunity to facilitate information sharing among community members, educate folks that are new or relatively new to the industry, and provide participants (whether federal/state/local government, commercial/industry, or academia) with an understanding of the communities’ needs regarding identity.

What are you most looking forward to at FedID?

This year I’m excited that we’re broadening our horizons and holding FedID in a new city. As Duane says, New Decade, New City, New FedID! The new location and venue will be invigorating to all. It already is to the Planning Committee!

How are current standards development activities enabling future identity capabilities?

Prior to joining NIST, I was a DHS employee for 14 years. As such, my focus was on data sharing, interoperability, and adhering to standards and best practices to enable biometric and biographic data sharing. Over the years we have seen standards mature, in particular; the ANSI/NIST-ITL standard has evolved to include additional biometric modalities such as Voice, Dental, and Non-photographic image data. As identity needs continue to evolve, and technology continues to advance there may be more modalities (Gait, Vein or Vascular, etc.) to be considered. Standards allow the users to structure data for more efficient and effective uses.

Ross Nodurft

Senior Director, Cybersecurity Services
Venable LLP

Submitted: March 10, 2020

What is your role in the federal identity community?

At Venable, I work with companies to advocate for modern approaches to digital identity. As a former Fed focused on cybersecurity and identity policy, it is important for the Federal government to leverage the most secure, modern approaches available, especially as agencies digitize citizen services and modernize mission critical systems. Additionally, I support the Better Identity Coalition, which we discuss more below.

How does FedID help you succeed?

FedID provides a venue to meet with the mission leaders and ICAM professionals helping to drive identity both at the enterprise level and at the citizen experience level. This conference allows solution providers, integrators, system owners, and ICAM professionals to cut through the noise of the day to day and directly solve problems facing agency mission owners and their customers.

What are you most looking forward to at FedID?

I am most looking forward to the discussions about the future of digital identity. We are at a tipping point both in the commercial as well as in the Federal space that will allow agencies to help build an identity ecosystem that supports use and reuse of trusted identities by commercial entities and government agencies alike. Advances in identity keep people safe in our digital economy and will continue to be the foundation of those trusted interactions between identity providers, reliant parties, and their customers.

What should FedID attendees know about the Better Identity Coalition?

The Better Identity Coalition is committed to working alongside policymakers to improve digital security, privacy and convenience for everyone. The coalition brings together leading companies to promote education and collaboration on protecting identities online. Together, BIC is seeking innovative ways to empower Americans to take control of their identities and conduct their online business safely and securely. Check out the blueprint here.