The NG9-1-1 Interoperability Oversight Commission (NIOC) is pleased to announce completion of Version 1.0 of the Certificate Policy (CP) for the NG9-1-1 Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). This initial PKI provides a uniform standardized method for securely expressing one’s type, identity, role and agency affiliation within the NG9-1-1 ecosystem. This system is designed to provide for seamless and secure interoperability between disparate 9-1-1 entities within the NG9-1-1 trust chain. NG9-1-1 standards have called for a PKI from the beginning, but it is only now being implemented. Completion of this CP is a landmark achievement in the path to reaching end-state NG9-1-1.
“On behalf of the NIOC Commissioners, the achievement of this Certificate Policy represents hundreds of man-hours worked by 9-1-1 stakeholders,” said Rick Blackwell, Chairman of the NIOC. “ The CP is another significant milestone in providing 9-1-1-specific security for Next Generation 9-1-1 calls and we owe a large debt of gratitude to the many people who worked tirelessly to bring this remarkable achievement to the 9-1-1 community.”
The CP contains the rules and parameters for operating within the NG9-1-1 PKI, such as how certificates are issued, certificate contents, certificate renewal, revocation, validity periods, status checking, and more. The NG9-1-1 CP specifies a novel, cutting-edge approach that relies on automated certificate renewal and very short certificate validity periods, an architecture in line with the bleeding edge of today’s internet security. The CP was developed with extensive input from the standards-development community and represents hundreds of hours of consensus work.
The full CP is available here.
The NG9-1-1 Interoperability Oversight Commission (NIOC) is the independent oversight governance body for the NG9-1-1 Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Forest Guide, and other technical-interoperability services necessary for interoperability and security in NG9-1-1. More information is available at ng911ioc.org.