Case Study

UL helps building an automated PKI system for verification of ePassports and eResidencePermit documents
and fingerprint reading
After a thorough research project in 2009 and 2010 by the Judicial Information Service
(JustID) and UL's transaction security team, JustID decided to build an automated Public
Key Infrastrucure (PKI) system which reads digital information stored on ePassports and
eResidencePermit documents to identify people. This system is to be used at national
border control, police and immigration.
About
JustID is a Dutch governmental organization concerned with providing correct and
reliable information about the identity of a person. JustID does not only serve as a
source of information, but also contributes to the creation of systems and information
chains which can identify persons or documents. JustID initiated the creation of a
system that verifies official documents by means of the chips on eDocuments (also
known as Passive Authentication PKI (PA PKI)) and fingerprints on eDocuments (also
known as the Extended Access Control PKI (EAC PKI)). The appropriate infrastructure is
an essential asset to verify the integrity and authenticity of these chips and fingerprints.
This infrastructure is exclusively to be controlled by a trusted government source and
needs to be fully compliant to (international) ICAO and EU standards to cover all issued
documents. JustID asked UL to advice during the entire process.

Challenge
JustID decided to develop an automated verification system that can read both the
chip and the fingerprints on passports and eDocuments. The system should support
multiple types of government issued papers such as ePassports, eResidencePermits and
eDriversLicence and should read them on a local level. The responsibilities and executive
rights should be kept at ministry level. The one trusted source for all will reduce costs
as only one infrastructure to read all documents needs to be linked. UL was selected by
JustID to implement the system and deliver different applications. Sound experience
and expertise in the field were important for the decision by JustID to choose UL as their
trusted partner.

Solution
JustID required UL to build the applications on an open source software environment,
while making use of essential security implementations such as HSMs, DMZs and firewalls. The applications were to be discussed and created in two phases; building and
implementing. Together with JustID, UL discussed the details of the architecture and developed interfaces during the building face. During the implementation phase, the system was implemented and tested. A set of basic components was established, guaranteeing maximum flexibility and providing easy management.

Results
Currently the JustID PKI systems or verification systems are stationed at several gates
at Schiphol airport. The system reads chips and facilitates fingerprint reading of all PA
and EAC PKIs of many countries in the world to. The system is also prepared to enable
fingerprint reading from foreign (Schengen) countries documents. Other countries
are looking to follow the example of the Dutch verification system (Europe, Canada,
America, Asia).
UL and the UL logo are trademarks of UL LLC 2012

This has been an

innovative project.
In other regions they
are asking about this
Dutch solution. UL was
our preferred partner
from the beginning.
Their knowledge and
expertise exceeded our
expectations

- Cor de Jonge, JustID