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The project PersoSim, which focuses on the development of an open source eID simulator for the simulation of all functions of the chip application of the German ID card (Personalausweis), reached an important milestone. In addition to the eID simulator, HJP developed virtual Windows- and Linux-based card readers in the project. These virtual readers allow application developers to also simulate the functions of the different types of reading devices (basic, standard or comfort reader) for the German electronic identity card based on the technical guideline BSI TR-03119. Thus the virtual card reader supports the use of a PIN pad as it is the case with standard or comfort readers. The virtual drivers are a substitute for costly external test laboratory equipment.
All PersoSim components can be downloaded from the website http://www.persosim.de. In addition, the source codes for the eID simulator and the virtual drivers are available on the github platform https://github.com/persosim. The simulator offers a versatile alternative to sample cards, which are not only difficult to get but also limited in their use because of involved certificates. The simulated ID cards take data, which is issued with the Test-PKI from the German BSI, so users actually have authentic data to work with. It is a very flexible tool with the potential to further push the development of relatively few available online applications for the electronic identity cards to date. All protocols and security mechanisms for the electronic identity card of the Technical Guideline BSI TR-03110 are implemented in the simulator and allow a complete simulation of the eID function. The simulator contains a set of ten sample data with pre-configured cryptographic methods, key lengths and data of the owner. This sample data corresponds to the current requirements of the electronic ID card and represents the different versions of the identity card in the field.
Holger Funke, Director of the Business Unit „Test Tools & Test Services“ at HJP Consulting and Project Manager for the PersoSim development comments: „PersoSim offers developers a simple way to test their applications quickly with different variations of the identity card. This simplifies the development of new applications for the ID card“.
In particular, manufacturers of eID clients and eID servers as well as eID service providers, which play a significant role in the use of the new ID card for on-line applications (i.e. in e-government), can benefit from the many opportunities offered by PersoSim. “The use of PersoSim is of great value for the quality assurance of our developments as an ID-card authentication can be performed without haptic identification and without user interaction. This simplifies the already complicated test measures immensely and thus improves the quality of our product.” adds Hartje Bruns, Project Manager at Governikus KG for the eID-solution Governikus Autent as well as AusweisApp2, which is currently developed by the Governikus KG on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Interior.
The final work package, which will be provided in March 2015, contains the implementation of the complete PersoSim functionality on an Android operating system, so the eID function of the ID card can be simulated with an NFC-enabled smartphone. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), which commissioned HJP Consulting in the PersoSim project, will use the eID simulator within the BSI for future developments and prototypical implementations of new security protocols. “The PersoSim simulator based on the current versions of the BSI TR-03110 and TR-03127, allows us to test further developments of the specifications quickly with prototypes as well as to evaluate the interaction with existing eID components” concludes Tobias Senger, project manager at the BSI, the benefits of PersoSim for the BSI.