Drivers and pedestrians can to try out the new readers at test  

          sites starting March 20, 2014

The NIH will soon replace the card readers currently used at all NIH campus perimeter entrances and pedestrian portals with a more secure card reader as part of the agency's continued implementation of HSPD-12.

The new readers will operate differently. Unlike the old readers, which allowed users to place their cards NEAR the reader to open the gate or portal, the new card readers require individuals to REMOVE their PIV card from its holder, TOUCH AND HOLD the card flat against the face of the reader, and WAIT until a green light and beep signal that the gate or turnstile is unlocked. These changes are required as they represent a more secure method of accessing federal facilities.  

Important: pulling the badge away too quickly can result in a misread, and the door/gate will not open.  

Pilot sites will deploy mid March to let NIHers test their PIV Cards

Because these new readers will require anyone with a PIV Card entering the NIH campus to adopt a new way of using their cards, NIH wants to give everyone an opportunity to try out their PIV Card with the new readers.

On March 19, ORS sent all NIH employees, contractors and affiliates an e-mail announcing the March 20 availability of test readers that were installed in the lobbies of five "high-traffic" buildings on and off the NIH campus and at one of the South Drive vehicle entrances. Individuals can try out the new PIV Card readers at these test locations which are listed below:

• South Drive (Metro) vehicle entrance - right lane
  (test open 6 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. weekdays) 
• Building 31A  lobby
• Building 10 (Clinical Center) North lobby
• Building 10 (Clinical Center) South lobby
• Building 45 (Natcher Building) lobby
• Bayview Research Center lobby

The global e-mail also contained a link to a short video, produced by the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control and the NIH Police, demonstrating the steps everyone will need to follow to ensure that their PIV Cards will work with the new readers. If you missed the e-mail, or would like to view the video, click on: http://youtu.be/bL4rasW7jY4.

If, during the testing phase, users discover that their PIV Card is not working with the new reader, they can make an appointment to visit an ID Badge Issuance Station for a replacement Card. Instructions for obtaining help will be provided at the test stations.

Should you have questions about this transition, please contact:

[email protected].

Top 5 Reasons OPM Rejects and Returns Forms to the Submitting Agency

The March 5, 2014, issue of DPSAC News reported that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) now require, without exception, all agencies to hold off issuing new badges until e-QIP forms have been submitted by the candidate, reviewed by their respective agency and released to OPM.

More recently, to help agencies implement this new policy and improve the quality of investigations being submitted by the agencies to OPM for review, OPM reached out to all federal agency personnel security offices to remind them that it is "their responsibility [to ensure that] the information on the documents provided to OPM [is complete]." OPM emphasized that "the goal [of all agencies] should be to submit accurate and complete documents the first time."

Included in the notice was a list of the top five reasons cases are rejected to the agency from OPM. The most common quality errors and the overall rate of occurrence cited by OPM are:  

     1.     Required forms (eQIP, Releases, OF-306, fingerprints) not signed,  

             dated, or submitted: 44%      

     2.     Subject's background information missing or discrepant

             results:  22%      

     3.     Subject identifying data missing or discrepant: 13%      

     4.     Amendments to the forms require subject certification: 10%      

     5.     Submitted forms outdated: 8%

The OPM reminded the agencies that "quality starts before the forms are submitted to OPM, " adding that "complete and accurate forms (eQIP, releases, fingerprints, OF-306) are the foundation of the investigation upon which the rest of the case is built." 

NED Training Schedule for March, 2014  

The HSPD-12 Program Office will be offering two NED classes on March 20, 2014. This training is designed to help beginners and advanced users quickly master NED in a hands-on computer lab environment. All classes are FREE!      

Spring Schedule of NED Class to Be Announced Soon  

Watch this space for the spring, 2014 (April - June) NED training schedule. Once the class dates and locations are confirmed, they will be posted in DPSAC News and on the DPSAC website at: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Training/Pages/nedweb.aspx. 

If you wish to be contacted separately once the new schedule becomes available, please send your request to Lanny Newman at: [email protected]. Once the new classes are announced, you will be able to register for the class(es) of your choice by following the instructions below.   

How to Enroll

The NED courses are posted on the CIT Training site where visitors can view availability for any class and receive a confirmation immediately after registering. The catalog of NED classes is posted at http://training.cit.nih.gov/coursecatalog.aspx under "General Seminars."       

When you see a course you want to take, just click on the course name (listed in the right column of the table). You'll be taken to the HHS Learning Management System (LMS) where you can register for the course online.

To log onto the HHS Learning Management System you can use either your PIV card and PIN or your NIH credentials. If you experience any difficulties accessing the LMS, please contact the CIT Training Program at 301-594-6248 or send an e-mail to: [email protected]. 

Also, the HSPD-12 Program Office will continue to post the NED training schedule in DPSAC News and on the DPSAC website at:  

http://www.ors. od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Training/Pages/nedweb.aspx.  

Experts Share Tips on Getting Good Fingerprints at a Lifecycle or Enrollment Work Station

From time to time, LWS operators and PIV Card Enrollment specialists encounter a candidate whose fingerprints just won't reveal themselves properly on the LWS or EWS fingerprint reader. Below are a few tips and best practices offered up by DPSAC and LWS operator specialists for getting good fingerprints.  

Try these useful tips if the fingerprint is not visible or very faint:

• Have the applicant wash their hands. Be sure the fingers are clean and dry.    
• Clean the verifier.  
  It is always good practice to clean off the machines before an applicant arrives to have a clean surface to capture the best prints!  
• Apply 'PreScan,' or hand lotion. Some specialists have found moistening the fingers using a water-moistened tissue helps define the ridges on the applicant's fingertips.
• Use a light touch. Many people press down too hard on the glass. A light touch is all that's needed, and is actually better than pressing too hard.   
• If the light touch doesn't work, have the applicant press down more firmly on the screen.    
• Have the applicant move their finger up higher or down lower on the screen. 
• Restart the computer.   
• Unplug and re-plug the verifier into the computer or try a different USB port.
• Warm up the applicant's hands. One technique is to have the applicant rub his or her hands together.  
• As a last resort, if the LWS operator is unable to obtain verifiable fingerprints, s/he should instruct the applicant to re-enroll with DPSAC to re-verify their fingerprints.