Group wants to integrate physical, IT security

Physical and IT security traditionally have been stovepipe processes, with little communication between the products used on each side. The Open Security Exchange, a year-old industry group, is developing interoperability standards with an eye toward tearing down those pipes. “We are all about developing standards to bridge the gap between IT and traditional physical security technology,” said OSE director Eric Maurice. “We’ve had a very interesting first year.” Formation of OSE was announced at last year’s RSA Security Conference by Computer Associates International Inc.; GemPlus Card International Corp. of Gaithersburg, Md.; HID Corp. of Irvine, Calif.; and Tyco International Ltd.’s Fire & Security Software house. The group has since completed specifications for its Physical Security Bridge to IT Security, and submitted them to the Security Industry Association for adoption as part of its Open Systems Integration and Performance Standards initiative. OSIPS is a cooperative effort between SIA and the Counter-Terrorism Technical Support Office of the departments of Defense and State. Full Story