DOD hits smart card milestone

One million down — 3 million to go.

The Defense Manpower Data Center handed out its 1 millionth Common Access Card, a multifunction "smart" identification card.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry Raduege Jr., director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, received the millionth CAC card during a ceremony Aug. 28 at Fort Belvoir, Va.

"It is a monumental step in our nation's steadfast determination to accomplish information security and assurance," said Dave Wennergren, Navy's deputy chief information officer for e-business and security. Wennergren is also part of the team in charge of the Defense Department's efforts to distribute the CAC cards throughout the department.

"In less than one year from the beginning of full implementation, [more than] 1 million Common Access Cards have been issued," he said.

The CAC, as the cards are generally called, is now the standard identification for the uniformed services. The secure, multiple-application smart card is used for physical identification and building and network access.

Mary Dixon, director of the DOD Access Card Office, said that the deployment of the cards at Fort Belvoir was an excellent illustration of CAC's importance because it supports cross-agency issuance.

"This allows for all eligible personnel to obtain their CAC at any issuance site no matter what service or agency they belong to or for which they work," she said.

DOD started handing out the CACs in October 2001. Officials hope to have all 4 million cards distributed by October 2003.

The CAC is embedded with a digital certificate that will enable secure communications departmentwide.

"Many are unaware of its full capacity," Wennergren said. The integrated chip enables the storage and processing of biometrics, e-commerce functions and other potential technologies in the future, he said.