1,000,000/1 CAC card issued - Common Access Cards

Navy Supply Corps Newsletter, Jan-Feb, 2003

The Department of Defense has issued the one millionth and the 1,000,001st Common Access Cards (CACs). CACs are the newest, smart card-based identification cards. The ceremony was held at Fort Belvoir, Va., on Aug. 28, 2002. By issuing these cards to Air Force and Navy military officers at an Army installation, the DoD was able to demonstrate the "purple nature" of the CAC.

Construction Mechanic 1st Class Ricky E. White, a petty officer with the United States Navy, was issued the 1,000,001 st Common Access Card signifying the "start of a new generation," according to Mary Dixon, Director DoD Access Card Office. CM1 White has been in the Navy for 13 years.

Lt. Gen. Harry D. Raduege Jr., Director of Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and manager of National Communications System in Arlington, Va., received the one millionth Common Access Card. DISA has been heavily involved in the common access card program and is a "critical partner in the development of the issuance process," said Dixon. The CAC Program is an example of successful partnerships among all the armed forces, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Defense agencies according to Raduege.

The CAC is the standard military identification and the principle card used to enable physical access to buildings, installations, and controlled spaces. It also permits access into DoD's computer networks and serves as the authentication for the department's computerized public key infrastructure (PKI). The CAC provides DoD the information security and assurance necessary to protect vital information resources.

It is a monumental step in our nation's steadfast determination to accomplish information security and assurance. Our national security strategy revolves around long-standing goals as a nation to maintain the sovereignty, political freedom, and independence of the United States, with its values, institutions, and territory intact; to protect the lives and personal safety of Americans, both at home and abroad; and to provide for the well-being and prosperity of the nation and its people. The CAC is an important example of the department's efforts to use cutting-edge technologies to reform Defense's business processes, to eliminate paper-based activities, to ensure the security of its networks, and consequently to enhance military readiness.

The CAC is based on "smart card" technology that stores and processes information on an integrated microprocessor chip. Embedded within the card, this chip is a small computer without a monitor or power supply. It has the capability to read, write, and perform various operations on several thousand bytes of information. The common access card is about the size of an average credit card and incorporates linear and two-dimensional bar codes and a magnetic stripe in order to enable the card to support other functions, either departmentwide or on an individual command basis.

The card provides an encouraging layer of security. It contains a significant amount of identity features allowing the DoD to insure strong identity authentication at both the front and back end and even the ability to bind that identity to the card. A single card has the capability to allow for physical access, network access, access to secure Web servers, digitally sign and encrypt e-mail, e-commerce, secure workstations, and is continuously being improved with technologies such as biometrics, contactless, and wireless.

The CAC is fast becoming the standard identification card for approximately 4 million people affiliated with DoD. In one year, the department has completed over one quarter of this ambitious project. With 1 million strong, DoD is boldly becoming a digital-age organization, according to Dave Wennergren, Chairman of Smart Card Senior Coordinating Group.