National ChangeofAddress

1

• National Change-of-Address
• Linkage System-NCOALink

USPS Confidential. Restricted Distribution
2
PURPOSE OF TODAYS BRIEFING

• Advise you of a new, secure change-of-address
  technology developed by Address Management
• Demonstrate how NCOALink supports current USPS
  (United States Postal Service) and Mailing
  Industry Task Force initiatives

3
SECURE DATA STORES BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY

• NCOALink represents a breakthrough technology for
  securely storing data
• Massive volumes data can be released in a manner
  that allows revelation to occur only in
  accordance with presentation of valid
  authorizing request
• USPS has a patent application being processed for
  this new technology

4
Value of the National Change-of-Address
ProgramConversely, the rehandling costs
avoided by USPS in FY 1998 as a result of not
having to forward mail when individuals,
families, and businesses move was estimated at
1.194 billion. 1
NATIONAL CHANGE-OF-ADDRESS (NCOA)

1 Grant Thornton LLP Performance Audit of the
National Change of Address Program, March 1999,
Contract GS-23F-8196H, Pg. 4 (Performed on
Behalf of the Office of Inspector General)
5
SAMPLE NCOA CHANGE-OF-ADDRESS DATA

• OLD SIDE
• JIM WILSON
• 5891 PLUM VALLEY DR
• MEMPHIS TN
• 38141-6826 (91)

• NEW SIDE
• 512 KING RIDGE DR
• COLLIERVILLE TN
• 38017-1705 (12)

This example represents a typical customer
change-of-address. This is also typical of the
text representation shown in NCOA.
6
SAMPLE NCOALINK CHANGE-OF-ADDRESS DATA

• OLD SIDE
• Not present within
• NCOALink data format

• NEW SIDE
• a7 52 f2 22 0a

This example represents what a typical customer
change-of-address will look like within the
NCOALink System.
7
SECURE HASH ALGORITHM (SHA)

• The Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) is a FIPS
  standard, data encoding technique that produces a
  mathematical value unique to every name/address
  combination presented
• To build the NCOALink database, we combine the
  customer name and pertinent address data
• JIMWILSON38141682605892000

8
STANDARD HASH ALGORITHM

• We then generate a SHA of the information,
  producing our NCOALink Search Key
• Hexadecimal Representation (20 Bytes)
• 80 e8 10 8d c4 ea 0d 2a 41 8c
• 8e 99 56 86 8b c3 9c 1a c8 63

9
HIDING THE NEW SIDE ADDRESS DATA

• This is the NCOALink KEY that will be used
• By USPS to install data representing customers
  new address into 8 separate hash tables
• By customer to retrieve the data required to
  reconstruct the new-address text
• No physical relationship between the data stored
  into the 8 tables exists

10
RETRIEVING THE NEW SIDE ADDRESS

• Customer processes their address data according
  to USPS prescribed method
• Generates SHA using name and address data the
  same way USPS did in creating the NCOALink
  database

11
RECREATING THE NEW-ADDRESS INFORMATION

• After the new-address DPBC is derived, a reverse
  lookup into the ZIP4 database using the DPBC
  produces the new-address text

12
SATISFIES OF GAO RECOMMENDATIONS

• Removes potential that Change-of-Address
  information can be data-mined
• Complies with Title 39 prohibition and Privacy
  Act restriction regarding release of name and
  address data

13
EXTERNAL SECURITY EVALUATION (EXCERPT)

• Using only the NCOALink files it is considered
  completely infeasible (that is essentially
  impossible) for anyone to directly reconstruct
  the COA files (name, old address, new address and
  associated data).
• The possibility of forwarding mail in error when
  it should not be forwarded due to the design of
  the COA/Link system has been assessed as
  negligible (essentially zero).

14
EXTERNAL SECURITY EVALUATION (EXCERPT)

• This is an improvement (in terms of security)
  and a 1000 times better than the current system.
• Using only the NCOALink files it is considered
  infeasible to unambiguously reconstruct even one
  output record.

15

SUPPORTS KEY USPS/MAILING INDUSTRY INITIATIVES

• USPS Transformation Plan
• Growth through Added Value to Customers
• Work with customers to improve the overall
  accuracy of address information

16

SUPPORTS KEY USPS/MAILING INDUSTRY INITIATIVES

• Mailing Industry Task Force
• To make the mail channel increasingly competitive
  with other communications media
• improving address quality
• Encourage mailers to use methods to correct
  addresses prior to mail entry
• Determine if it is feasible to establish a
  linkage between intelligent mail and address
  quality

17
SUPPORTS PMG KEEPING OUR FOCUS
MANAGING COSTS 3. Must show we
are doing everything possible to hold down
our costs and theirs
KEEPING OUR FOCUS
GROWING REVENUE 5. Develop new products and
services
IMPROVING SERVICE 4. Develop new systems
18
MILESTONES

• Concept to mitigate risks
• Provisional Patent
• Third Party Security Evaluation
• Alpha Test with NCOA vendor
• Internal USPS strategy team
• Beta Test with NCOA vendors
• Pilot Test (in process)
• Price Determination
• Legal Document/license
• Data Sets Commercially Available

19
ALPHA TEST DELIVERABLES

• Evaluate the ease of building an interface
• Confirm the product does work (does produce
  changes of address and is secure)
• Validate that the operation of NCOALink does not
  break any existing systems
• Submit recommendations for improvement to
  development or developer guide documentation

20
BETA TEST DELIVERABLES

• Evaluate the ease of building an interface
• Parallel test with NCOA processing
• Evaluate NIXIE codes
• Evaluate throughput and minimum computer
  requirements
• Submit recommendations for monthly reporting
  requirements
• Submit recommendations for improvement to
  development or developer guide documentation

21
PILOT TEST DELIVERABLES

• Determine processing times per platform
• Compare results from NCOA to NCOALink
• Modify product based on results of pilot
• Provide feedback for performance requirements and
  reports

22
STEPS IN PROCESS

• Determining pricing
• Working with vendors
• Developing license agreements

23
NEXT STEP

• Release product July 1, 2003