Influence and act
SPAC Alliance proposes and participates in numerous committees and working groups focused on market challenges, European regulations, innovations, and technological developments. These forums facilitate the exchange of expertise and lead to the development of innovative solutions, recommendations, specifications, or positions that advocate for our market’s interests with national and European regulators.
Working groups and committees
WORKING GROUPS
SSCP EVOLUTIONS
SSCP is a protocol that has opened up through the SPAC Alliance, effectively becoming an industry standard. It enables the construction of sustainable security, capable of evolving according to market needs while maintaining the highest levels of security.
This group is responsible for identifying, prioritizing, and planning the necessary developments to address current and future threats and to create new features requested by users.
IoT Devices
The exponential growth of connected devices requires a dual effort: ensuring a high level of security and maximum interoperability with their environment, all while adhering to a strict regulatory framework that is rapidly taking shape, such as the European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).
DEMATERIALIZED ACCESS CONTROL
Dematerialized access control is currently not recommended by ANSSI. However, the European Union has acknowledged this trend with the European Wallet (eIDAS V2). ANSSI is also beginning to show openness with its “Note 8,” which defines the evaluation methodology for CSPN certifications of mobile applications.
SPAC Alliance and its members are convinced that dematerialized solutions could be part of future regulatory developments.
COMMUNICATION
The communications working group ensures the transmission of information within the SPAC Alliance, organizes events and meetings, defines and implements the promotional strategy for the Alliance as well as for its work (press, social media, website, digital materials, etc.).
ONLINE LOCKS
These types of devices, like “Offline” locks, are integral to the range of physical access control solutions in our market. They are also particularly deployed in Germany. While “Offline” locks, thanks to a previous SPAC Alliance working group, received support from ANSSI, the use of “Online” locks is still not widely recommended by the Agency.
Nevertheless, SPAC Alliance and some of its industry members (mechatronics manufacturers) believe that the use of online locks, under certain strict use cases and specific conditions, could be part of upcoming regulatory developments.
SMART BUILDING
Buildings are becoming smarter by interconnecting various technologies and solutions within their infrastructures. The goal of SPAC Alliance, through several SBA committees, is to work on developing features related to safety, as well as enhancing the levels of security and interoperability of solutions and communication protocols in this sector.
Committees within our member organization, SBA.
CONCRETE RESULTS
RESULTS
NIS 2
Since its inception, SPAC Alliance has advocated for the importance of electronic physical security within a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. Promoting this concept has included efforts directed at the European Parliament. The link between physical and logical security is now incorporated in the new European NIS 2 Directive, which aims to raise and harmonize security levels across all member countries to effectively counter new threats and ensure comprehensive protection for users and their data.
SPAC Alliance remains active on this topic, participating in public consultations on transposition and issuing recommendations through the ACN on ANSSI’s transposition efforts for the Directive, particularly concerning the draft law and ANSSI’s objective #8, which addresses physical access to facilities.
ACCESS CONTROL WITHOUT CENTRALIZED MANAGEMENT
Another development in the ANSSI recommendation guide, fully supported by SPAC Alliance and carried out through a dedicated working group, involves the inclusion of an entire chapter on physical access control systems without centralized management, such as “offline” or standalone locks.
This type of solution, previously not recommended by the Agency, is now permitted under certain conditions. The next step is the inclusion of “Offline” locks within a CSPN evaluation target.
DEFINITION OF A COMMON CSPN TARGET
SPAC Alliance actively participated in defining a new ANSSI document: the security target model for First-Level Security Certification (CSPN) for access control systems (cyber.gouv.fr).
In addition to significantly expanding the Target of Evaluation (TOE)—which now spans from the badge to Centralized Access Management (GAC) for truly end-to-end security—this document clearly formalizes the need to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of communications between the readers and the Local Processing Unit (UTL).
This requirement highlights the value of the SSCP protocol, which enables the over-encryption of a “transparent” communication that complies with ANSSI’s technical standards, such as Annex B1 of the General Security Framework (RGS) and the cryptographic Algorithm Selection Guide.
EVOLUTION OF ANSSI SCHEME NO. 1 (France)
SPAC Alliance, through its Working Group and dedicated review committee, worked closely with ANSSI to advance the recommendation guide on securing physical access control and video surveillance systems.
One notable development is the formal integration of a second authentication factor within Architecture No. 1. This “transparent” access control system architecture, which is the only one recommended by ANSSI, now includes a formalized variant, “Configuration Type No. 1 with the introduction of dual-factor authentication.” This allows for the integration of a PIN code or even biometric functionality into the access control reader, securing its communications.
INTEGRATION OF R 31
Another example of recent developments in ANSSI’s stance is the introduction of recommendation R31 within the guide. This recommendation, also promoted by SPAC Alliance, formalizes the agency’s openness to biometric identification technologies. ANSSI now permits the storage of biometric templates on AVA_VAN.5 level badges for use as a second authentication factor.
PARTICIPATION IN OTHER EUROPEAN INITIATIVES
EUROPEAN
SPAC Alliance participates in numerous European initiatives, both associative and institutional, committed to defining our physical and logical security sovereignty.
This involvement provides a comprehensive view of modern challenges, enriches our work, and allows us to broadly share our vision of security.
ANSSI
The National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI) is tasked with understanding, preventing, and responding to cyber risks. It establishes globally recognized standards, security frameworks, and certifications (CSPN).
As a founding member of SPAC Alliance, ANSSI participates in our work, includes us in its review committees, and facilitates alignment between the legislative framework and market expectations.
EUROSMART
A key European player in the development of cybersecurity standards, policies, and regulations, EUROSMART places data protection and privacy at the heart of the European digital ecosystem.
EUROSMART cooperates with various European institutions, standards organizations, certification bodies, and representative federations such as SPAC Alliance.
ALLIANCE FOR DIGITAL TRUST
The ACN is a French organization dedicated to promoting security and trust throughout the digital space.
It brings together experts and key players in the sector, contributes to the development of security standards, and raises awareness of cybersecurity issues. SPAC Alliance works closely with ACN to create connections between physical security and cybersecurity.
SMART BUILDING ALLIANCE
The SMART BUILDING ALLIANCE (SBA) is working to develop integrated standards for more sustainable, connected, instinctive and secure buildings, thus contributing to the evolution of the living and working environment.
Logically, it joins SPAC Alliance on numerous objectives and means, including SSCP, to increase security levels within intelligent buildings and, above all, harmonize security levels across the entire security and IoT ecosystem.
AN2V
The AN2V defends the ethical and efficient use of video protection and participates in the development of regulations in this direction. It supports the integration of major innovations such as facial recognition, Artificial Intelligence and system interoperability.
The AN2V therefore joins SPAC Alliance in its common objectives of sovereignty, interoperability between security equipment and harmonization of security levels.
OSS ASSOCIATION
The non-profit Open Security Standards Association, based in Germany, works to define standardized protocols for the security market, particularly for access control.
OSS naturally joined the SPAC Alliance to help build our European sovereignty over standards such as OSS Standard Offline, OSS Secure ID, OSS Mobile Access, and is supporting us in the evolution of the SSCP protocol.