DOD sets real-world test of HSPD-12

An exercise to uncover operational problems in issuing and using uniform federal identity cards will begin in April, Defense Department officials in charge of the project said today.

The exercise, involving 10 DOD sites and each military service, will test “the whole enchilada” of requirements for Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, said Bob Gilson, a management and program analyst at DOD’s Common Access Card office.

Gilson and other officials who spoke today at a Government Smart Card Interagency Advisory Board meeting in Washington, D.C., alluded to the Oct. 27 deadline for federal agencies to begin issuing interoperable identity cards to federal employees and contractors. The cards will be used to improve security at federal facilities.

The purpose of the exercise, scheduled to last 287 days, is to find and correct real-world problems with using 64K contactless smart cards for secure access to DOD facilities, Gilson said.