The US government wants an 18 month deadline for agencies to comply with a requirement for an intoperable employee ID card.

In the same week, legislation put forward by the UK government for a national ID card is likely to be scrapped, because of the upcoming election.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a federal department set the deadline as 27/10/06. Agencies will by then be required to be in compliance with the federal standard for identity verifcation and identity management released in February.

Actual writing of the standard was the work of the National Institute of Standards and Techology (NIST).

Comments by agencies and industry groups can be made in the next 30 days.

Two parts make up the standard. The first, merely ensures identity management procedures are in place. Interoperable ID credentials, new employees and contractors to use the credentials, ID cards for employees and contractors and have at least one digital certificate for access control to networks and systems. This needs to be in by October 2006.

Secondly, policies and procedures have to be in place to ensure the identity of all current and employees and contractors.

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