Private DoD Web sites to require CAC after holiday

This is a very interesting story from the Lackland Talespinner, the local military base newspaper. It just shows that the military can have some good and smart technology initiatives. I hope they've implemented it well!

Private DoD Web sites to require CAC after holiday
BY JAMES COBURN
TALESPINNER STAFFWRITER

Use of a common access card will be required starting Wednesday to enter all private military Web sites, including the Lackland Intranet, the Lackland Network Control Center announced this week. CAC use is mandatory to be in compliance with a DoD Network Tasking Order. A CAC won't be required to log on to your computer yet, as the deadline for CAC logon in no later than July 31. The CAC is not required send an e-mail or to access public Internet sites, said Staff Sgt. Donovan Sachs, NCO in charge of Application Services and a webmaster for the Lackland Intranet. All Lackland personnel authorized to have a CAC and a computer equipped with a card reader should have them by now, said Senior Master Sgt. Steve Harris, superintendent of Customer Support, 37th Mission Support Squadron. "Some contractors may not have a CAC," Sergeant Harris said. If a contractor needs a CAC, he added, the contractor's network administrator will have to contact us and authorize us to issue one. "People can enter any public Internet site without a CAC by clicking on Internet Explorer, then clicking "Cancel" when a message asks for a digital certificate. Some people may think their computer is broken the first time they try it, Sergeant Sachs said, since the computer will give an error message and state that the page cannot be displayed. But when that occurs, he said, "all you have to do is go to one of your favorites, or go to the address bar and type in "www.whatever," and it will go to that page if it isn't a private military Web page or one that begins "https." A CAC is being required to enter private military Web sites as the first step in going to a 100 percent identity-protected system for all Defense Department computer users. Eventually, a CAC will be required to log on to all DoD computers. Because the CAC provides a digital signature that is unique to each user, a Lackland Airman will be able to send an e-mail that can only be opened by its intended recipient. The CAC, as those who have one know, is a "smart" ID card the size of a credit card that contains an integrated circuit chip, a magnetic strip, bar codes and the owner's photograph. The chip is digitally embedded with the owner's fingerprint, personal identification number (PIN) and both a public and a private key for the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) system. PKI provides the user with confidentiality and non-repudiation, meaning a person who opens a signed e-mail cannot deny he received it. According to a Lackland video on PKI, "Every time you use your digital signature, you ensure authentication, data integrity and nonrepudiation."