1Kosmos Designated Full-Service Credential Service Provider Under New Federal Security Category

The new General Services Administration category identifies ‘robust, trustworthy credential service providers.’

1Kosmos, a provider of digital identity verification with technology including biometrics and passwordless authentication, said this week that it has been named a Full-Service Credential Service Provider (CSP) under the General Service Administration’s new category, SIN 521519CSP.

1Kosmos collaborated with Carahsoft Technology, a government IT solution provider, in securing the GSA distinction.

Vendors that qualify for the new GSA category’s standards have been deemed to meet “stringent technical, privacy and operational requirements” that federal agencies have set for digital identity vendors it contracts with, according to a news release from 1Kosmos.

To be qualified as a CSP, vendors specifically must meet NIST SP 800-63 requirements for federal agencies implementing digital identity systems. In addition, those vendors must be listed on the Kantara Trust Status List or provide a letter of approval from the Kantara Initiative or other GSA-approved third party that can ensure conformance to NIST SP 800-63. Cloud-based vendors must also hold a FedRAMP Moderate authorization to operate or be “in process.”

Obtaining the SIN 521519CSP credential puts vendors in a better position to secure government contracts as federal agencies increasingly look to acquire NIST 800-63-compliant services, according to government contract site FedSched.

“This designation reinforces 1Kosmos as a proven, high-assurance credential service provider aligned with the U.S. Government’s highest standards for digital identity,” said 1Kosmos CEO Hemen Vimadalal in a statement. “As agencies modernize their identity infrastructure, 1Kosmos offers faster procurement, lower integration risk and a FedRAMP High-authorized cloud platform built for secure identity proofing and life-cycle management at scale.”

“The addition of 1Kosmos to GSA’s SIN 541519CSP is a critical step in expanding access to its solutions,” said Tyler Nelson, sales manager who leads the 1Kosmos team at Carahsoft, in a statement. “This accomplishment highlights 1Kosmos’s dedication to providing advanced cybersecurity solutions for Government agencies. We look forward to working with 1Kosmos and our reseller partners to support innovative initiatives in the Public Sector.”

In April, 1Kosmos launched its Credential Service Provider (CSP) managed service for identity verification in government agencies.

1Kosmos' CSP offering provides digital identity verification that supports up to certified NIST Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2), up to certified NIST Authentication Assurance Level 2 (AAL2), and multifactor authentication, according to a statement from the company.

The company said its solutions can also detect synthetic and stolen identities and store credentialing data in “a decentralized framework and accessed via FIDO2 certified public-private key cryptography."