IG: More control needed over some DOD security cards

More control is needed over common access cards used by Defense Department contractors, a report from DOD’s inspector general found. Existing controls of the cards need to be improved and new rules need to be implemented, according to the report. Contractors' common access cards were not consistently approved, issued, re-verified, revoked, or recovered across DOD, the report found. Some contractors received cards without undergoing background checks or receiving appropriate government approval. The report also found that DOD officials did not always recover revoked contractor common access cards. For example, a subcontractor for Kellogg, Brown and Root performed checks with no Army oversight. Also, contractors were misclassified as government employees on their cards, the report said. The report found that 40,055 contractor cards indicated the holders had General Schedule pay grades, and 211,851 had e-mail addresses that improperly identified the holders as U.S. government employees. The IG's office recommended implementing a joint, DOD-wide, contractor common access card life-cycle policy. The IG also called for improving the Army's oversight at common access card issuance sites. The report was released Oct. 10.