Access management under CJIS 6.0: The new gold standard

Learn how agencies can put access management requirements into practice that supports compliance with CJIS 6.0.

Many law enforcement agencies are already compliant with the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy 6.0. But compliance doesn't guarantee efficiency, and can often seem to come at its expense. The latest version of CJIS raises expectations for how agencies manage identity and access, but meeting those requirements can't come at the expense of speed, efficiency, or officer safety. Enabling secure but easy-to-use access for your people will make it easier for them to do their jobs in a safe, effective manner.

Let's explore what it takes to implement CJIS 6.0 access controls in practice, balancing security with usability to make it easier to gain access without sacrificing security.

Making MFA usable in every environment

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is no longer optional under CJIS 6.0, but implementing it effectively requires nuance. Agencies need to account for different user scenarios, such as officers in the field, administrative staff in offices, or vendors connecting remotely.

The best approach is flexible MFA. Biometrics might be the right option for officers moving between shared workstations, while push notifications or tokens work better for third parties. The challenge isn't convincing people MFA is necessary. It's ensuring the second factor doesn't add friction that slows down investigations or pushes users toward risky workarounds.

Logging and auditability as force multipliers

CJIS 6.0 requires agencies to maintain detailed, tamper-proof logs of who accessed what, when, and from where. While that may sound like another checkbox, it can also be a force multiplier for resource-constrained IT teams.

Searchable logs give agencies the ability to investigate suspicious activity quickly, respond to audit requests without scrambling, and even identify process improvements over time. Strong auditability strengthens both security operations and overall efficiency.

Rethinking third-party access

Third-party users are essential partners in law enforcement operations, but they also represent one of the most difficult compliance challenges. Shared logins and broad access have been common workarounds in the past, but they don't meet CJIS 6.0 requirements.

The better model is temporary, tightly scoped, and fully traceable access. Agencies should grant vendors only the permissions they need for the job at hand, for only as long as they need them, with accounts that automatically expire. This reduces risk while also cutting down on manual offboarding tasks for IT staff.

Tackling the shared device and MDT challenge

Perhaps the most difficult environment to secure under CJIS 6.0 is the one law enforcement relies on most: shared devices and mobile data terminals (MDTs). Officers often share the same devices across shifts, which creates real risks if one user can see another's session or case information.

The solution is fast, secure user switching with session isolation. Officers need to log in quickly without compromising security, and their work needs to remain completely private once their shift ends. This is where purpose-built access management platforms make a difference, because standard operating system logins often can't meet this need.

Lessons from the City of Marietta

The City of Marietta, Georgia, faced these exact challenges as it sought to comply with new CJIS requirements. Officers needed secure access to federal crime databases from patrol cars, which represents a situation where security and speed must work hand in hand.

By deploying Imprivata Enterprise Access Management, Marietta was able to meet CJIS authentication requirements while also improving workflows. The solution provided single sign-on, flexible MFA, and fast switching between shared devices. The result was compliance with the added benefit of greater efficiency and productivity across departments ranging from police to municipal courts.

Compliance without compromise

CJIS 6.0 makes clear that identity and access management can no longer be treated as an afterthought. It's central to protecting criminal justice information, and by extension, public safety and community trust.

But increasing usability doesn't have to mean complexity. Implementing MFA that fits different user needs, leveraging audit logs as a resource, and addressing shared device realities head-on, allows agencies to meet the gold standard with a usable interface without slowing down critical work.

CJIS 6.0 is an opportunity for agencies to modernize access management in ways that both strengthen security and improve day-to-day operations. Those that embrace the challenge will be better prepared to not only comply, but to lead.

Ready to go deeper? Download Imprivata's full white paper, CJIS 6.0 compliance made practical, to explore detailed requirements and strategies for sustainable compliance.

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