Police tighten grip on sign-on access

Staffordshire force installs IT password management system

Staffordshire Police is to install a password management system to improve secure access to its IT systems.

The force began installing the Imprivata OneSign system on more than 45 password-protected systems this week, and hopes its 4,500 users will be able to access them using single sign-on before the end of the year.

Staffordshire Police also expects to radically reduce the time that IT helpdesk staff spend resetting passwords.

IT systems integrator Enline will work with the force to install the system, which will reduce the number of passwords that officers need to remember.

‘Forty per cent of our IT helpdesk’s time is spent on password management issues and we are hoping this will be cut,’ said Ron Bentley, IS programme manager at Staffordshire Police.

‘There will also be efficiency gains and improved security as I’m sure some people write down passwords on Post-it notes.’

At present, officers have to remember at least six passwords to access databases, including a Home Office enquiry system, police command and control applications, intelligence databases and family protection systems.

The single sign-on system will improve productivity by making it easier to sign on to multiple systems, including terminals, web portals, mobile devices and Citrix thin-client applications.

The system will also further reduce helpdesk time by adding employee self-service functionality, and will help the force meet national IT security requirements from the Home Office and the Police Information Technology Organisation.
OneSign will be used to access new systems as they are incorporated into the organisation.

‘We will be accessing information from other forces so it is important that we all start to adopt a federated approach to access and security,’ said Bentley.

Staffordshire Police is looking into the possibility of adding further security to its systems, through biometric identification or the use of proximity cards to identify users.

‘It’s important to reiterate the importance of security to our employees,’ said Bentley.