Card Grants Portal Access

Signal, Nov 2005

U.S. Air Force personnel can now log on to the service's portal using a common access card and personal identification number. The two-factor authentication will facilitate usage while improving security, Air Force officials say.

To access the portal using the card/personal identification number combination, personnel must go to the Web site at https://www.my.af. mil, locate the "Register Now" heading and click on the "New/existing users start here" link. Access to the portal is granted within a few minutes. Users can continue to log on to the portal with their user identification and password when connecting from a computer that is not equipped with a card reader.

Although the security process has changed, Air Force personnel can continue to access the applications they set up under the former system, including Virtual Military Personnel Flight, myPay, Air Force Personnel Center Secure and the Air Force Virtual Education Center. Air Force officials say future changes to security measures will depend on how the U.S. Defense Department proceeds with its identification mechanisms. Biometrics is among the approaches being considered.