Operational Research Consultants, Inc. (ORC) Provides Common Access Card (CAC) Alternative to Authenticate Internet Credentials

Market Wire, November, 2007

Operational Research Consultants, Inc. (ORC), a wholly owned subsidiary of WidePoint Corporation (AMEX: WYY) and an External Certificate Authority (ECA) Provider, is currently offering hardware assurance tokens and associated certificates that are recognized by U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) divisions as providing the same level of security protection as the certificate on a Common Access Card (CAC).

A CAC enhances security of Federally controlled facilities and computer systems, ensuring a safer work environment for all Federal employees and contractors by identifying and authenticating users. CACs can be used to control access to computer networks, encrypt e-mail messages, enable users to sign documents electronically and either grant or deny access to controlled facilities.

ORC's medium hardware assurance tokens and associated certificates establish a standardized framework for strong authentication of customers, business partners and other external users that need to access U.S. Government systems.

The U.S. Defense Information System Agency (DISA) has announced, through its Identity Management Division, that the medium hardware assurance tokens and associated certificates issued by ORC have the same assurance level as a CAC.

A DoD application, person or relying party can accept ORC's tokens and certificates in lieu of CACs where there is a need to trust a non-DoD person who is not authorized to be issued a CAC.

The DoD established the External Certification Authority (ECA) program to support the issuance of DoD-approved certificates to industry partners and other external entities and organizations. The ECA program is designed to provide the mechanism for these entities to securely communicate with the DoD and authenticate to DoD Information Systems.

ORC's CEO and President, Daniel E. Turissini, said, "Operational Research Consultants' External Certificate Authority (ECA) medium hardware assurance digital certificates allow the DoD and its contractors to use a common trust model based on existing security systems.

"ORC's certificates will disperse deployment and implementation costs among all participants while providing long-term support for multiple levels of credentials in both the Federal and private sectors.

"ORC also offers ECA medium hardware assurance digital certificates under the Federation for Identity and Cross-Credentialing Systems (FiXs), allowing subscribers to leverage the successes of FiXs and the ECA to establish mutual trust across the DoD community, inclusive of DoD contractors, vendors and trading partners. Each subscriber will be able to authoritatively authenticate identities for both logical and physical access," said Turissini.

As a U.S. Government ECA, ORC is authorized to provide digital certificates for:

--  Identification/Digital Signature
--  Encryption to secure email and digital files
--  Server Authentication for identification of web sites and other
    devices
--  Domain Controllers for securing your Windows domain, and
--  Signing of Code
    

ORC is the only vendor certified by the Department of Defense to issue all six types of certificates with a validity of up to three years. ORC is focused on medium to high assurance levels and has the expertise and the full service attention needed to securely interface with the DoD. ORC has also been approved to issue certificates to all foreign nationals except where prescribed by law. All applicants, including US Citizens, are required to show proof of citizenship.

The ORC ECA supports the medium assurance and medium-hardware assurance levels as defined in the U.S. Government ECA Certificate Policy. ORC ECA offers 1, 2, or 3-year Certificates, encryption key archival and recovery, Microsoft Smart Card logon, and Microsoft Domain Controller certificates.

For more information on ORC's ECA certificates, visit http://eca.orc.com or call 1-800-816-5548. For ORC's public relations contact Ms. Jan Goebel at 1-703-938-1242, email: jan@z3strategy.com .

About WidePoint

WidePoint is a technology-based provider of products and services to the government sector and commercial markets. WidePoint specializes in providing systems engineering, integration and information technology services. WidePoint's wholly owned subsidiary, Operational Research Consultants, Inc. (ORC), is at the forefront of implementing government-compliant eAuthentication identity management managed services and associated systems engineering/integration. ORC has earned four major U.S. federal government certifications offering the highest levels of assurance for transactions over the Internet.

WidePoint's profile of customers encompasses U.S. Federal Government agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice as well as major U.S. defense contractors and several major pharmaceutical companies. For more information, visit http://www.widepoint.com .

An investment profile about WidePoint may be found at http://www.hawkassociates.com/wyyprofile.aspx .