Global transition of GV-ASManager to OSDP and DESFire

 

GeoVision Inc., a provider of enterprise security and building automation solutions, has announced a major technology transition for its access control and workforce management system, the GV-ASManager. Following a significant update of the software part of the system - software for the GV-ASManager ACS, the company announced several important changes in the system architecture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Transition of the GV-ASManager ACS system to the OSDP v.2 protocol

 

The transition of the hardware, ip-controllers and readers of the ACS system to the new global data transfer protocol - OSDP v.2.

 

What is OSDP and why is it important?

 

Today, the vast majority of manufacturers transmit data between readers and controllers via the Wiegand and RS-485 protocols or proprietary protocols based on them. These protocols are now very outdated and in the modern world full of cyber threats, they cannot fully protect the data transmitted over them. Wiegand is the most widely used protocol today, but in addition to being hack-proof, it is also unidirectional (data is only transferred from the reader to the controller.)

 

Open controlled device protocol (OSDP) — is a standard developed by the Security Industry Association (SIA) to provide more secure communication between different access control system devices. This protocol works with various types of readers, controllers and software. It was designed to address security issues that other legacy systems often face.

 

In other words, the development of this protocol was aimed at helping to implement, control and maintain a more stable and secure system of access control devices, which includes the use of advanced applications of smart card technology and biometrics.

 

 

Through the use of OSDP, users of the system receive:

 

  • The ability to encrypt data transmitted between all devices of the system using the AES-128 symmetric block cipher algorithm.
  • Continuous monitoring of the state of physical connections of all devices in the system, which allows you to automatically monitor the performance of all devices and quickly respond to sabotage.
  • Using a two-wire data bus for connection, provides easy multipoint connection of devices on a single cable, which can reduce the cost of system deployment, easy and fast system scaling.
  • 2-way communication provides the ability to centrally and remotely update reader firmware, program their logic, control LED indication, provide secure exchange of biometric data and send personalized greetings upon card recognition, and much more.
  • OSDP is cheaper to install because it requires less cabling. In addition, this interface allows the reader to work even if it is located at a distance of 1200 m from the controller.

 

Therefore, the implementation of this protocol is critical to ensure that your access control system complies with all the latest security requirements.

 

To keep the focus on safety, the standert is constantly being improved. OSDP v2 is currently an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard.

 

GeoVision has already transferred the youngest controller in the product line GV-AS1620 and ip-panel GV-CS1320 to this protocol. By the end of the first quarter of 2022, a complete transition of the entire line of AS214181 controllers to the new protocol is expected. Also announced the release of a whole series of new GeoVision readers with OSDP support.

 

2. Release of a new line of readers with support for DESFire EV2

 

The second component of the global transition of GV-ASManager is the transition of new readers to the new DESFire EV2 card standard. System migration to the new DESFire EV2 standard, provides a seamless transition from the less secure and secure EM and Mifire standards to the latest copy-protected standards.

 

What is DESFire and why is it important?

 

MIFARE DESFire EV2 is one of the latest additions to the MIFARE DESFire family of products, offering new features as well as improved performance. This standard is certified under the Common Criteria EAL5+ security standard, which corresponds to the same level of security certification as bank cards or electronic passports. It fully complies with the requirements of fast and reliable data transmission and flexible application management.

 

MIFARE DESFire EV2 is based on global open standards for both air interface and cryptographic methods. It complies with all levels of ISO/IEC 14443A and supports additional ISO/IEC 7816-4 commands (APDU and file structure are supported). It is also fully compatible with existing NFC reader infrastructure.

 

3. Migration of access cards to smartphones

Back in 2020, GeoVision presented solutions for using a smartphone as an identification device in access control systems. Previously, this was implemented in the form of the GV-Mobile Access application, which generated a new QR code every 10 seconds, thanks to which the user had a unique virtual access card, protected from cloning. For the 2nd quarter of 2022, GeoVision presented an update of this solution. In addition to using dynamic QR codes, GV-Mobile Access will add support for the NFC module of smartphones and smart watches. Thanks to this, users will be able to refuse plastic cards and use their smartphone as an access card, and the security of reading the card will be ensured by the biometric verification of the user using the smartphone. Release expected for Android and IOS.