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AMC to begin using Smart Card Logon

  • Published
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AMCNS) --  According to Air Mobility Command experts, the command is taking steps to bring the Smart Card Logon capability to the AMC unclassified network by March.

Kevin Nettrour, the AMC Public Key Infrastructure Point of Contact, said a benefit of Smart Card Login is the capability to use digital certificates, which are carried on an integrated chip located on the Common Access Card, or CAC, to verify a person’s identity. He said the digital certificates are stored on the CAC when it is issued to DoD personnel and provided through the Public Key Infrastructure program.

Mr. Nettrour said the Department of Defense and the Air Force have been implementing the Public Key Infrastructure over the past several years.

In fact, he said that Air Force Manual 33-223 states that commanders will ensure workstations (user end-machines) are configured in such a way to require a CAC logon as soon as the capability is available and supportable (this is the preferred method for accessing systems and networks if technically feasible).”

For AMC, that time is now.

According to Nettrour, the final step in the process providing Smart Card Logon throughout the command is the transfer of information to the network server from the certificates embedded in each person’s CAC. He said this process has already begun at Scott AFB, and the remaining AMC bases will begin this process Jan. 30 with completion by March 1.

According to Mr. Nettrour, immediately after logon, users will be prompted to take the necessary actions to transfer information from the digital certificates carried on the CAC to the network server. After successfully completing these actions, users will be able to logon to the AMC network using their CAC.

Mr. Nettrour said users will still be able to use their user ID and password to access the network for months to come. He said this will allow network access to people who forget their CAC or who cannot be issued CAC. It will also allow users who forget their personal identification number to have their PINs reset.

Mr. Nettrour said the biggest benefit of Smart Card Logon is the significant increase in network security over the user ID and password system currently used to access the network. He said a secondary benefit is that once the command fully transitions to Smart Card Logon, users won't need to regularly change and remember their passwords. Users only need to remember their CAC PIN, which does not need to be changed, even when a new card is issued.