Navy seeks wireless input

The Navy's chief information officer asked industry officials today to help him find new technologies and advise on policies so the service's personnel can work more securely and more widely use wireless networks.

Navy officials need identity management guidelines because of the military's emerging network-centric warfare doctrine and increasing reliance on biometrics, Common Access Cards (CACs) and radio frequency identification tags.

"People have to securely collaborate and share information," Navy CIO Dave Wennergren said. He spoke this afternoon at FCW Events' Homeland Security and Information Assurance Conference and Exhibition.

Identity management now involves not just people but places, devices and transactions. Defense Department officials have distributed 4.5 million CACs, which allow military personnel access to rooms and buildings, and DOD officials want ID management technology for devices and transactions, said Wennergren, who also leads the department's Identity Protection and Management Senior Coordinating Group that oversees all aspects of identity management.

He said he believes secure solutions exist for wireless communications. He asked industry officials to help him find them because the service's personnel will increasingly use the networking capability.

"We need to embrace it, not avoid it," Wennergren said.