Military cac email certs
A very specific topic!
In the US military, CAC (Common Access Card) email certificates are used to authenticate and encrypt email communications. Here's an overview:
What is a CAC email certificate?
A CAC email certificate is a digital certificate that is issued to a military user's CAC card, which is a smart card that contains their identity and authentication information. The certificate is used to authenticate the user's identity and encrypt their email communications.
How does it work?
When a military user sends an email, their CAC card is used to authenticate their identity and generate a digital signature. The email is then encrypted using the user's public key, which is stored on the CAC card. The recipient's CAC card is used to decrypt the email and verify the sender's identity.
Types of CAC email certificates
There are two types of CAC email certificates:
- Personal Identification Verification (PIV) certificate: This type of certificate is issued to military personnel and is used for authentication and encryption of email communications.
- Commercial (COM) certificate: This type of certificate is issued to contractors and other non-military personnel who need to communicate with military personnel via email.
Benefits of CAC email certificates
The use of CAC email certificates provides several benefits, including:
- Authentication: CAC email certificates ensure that the sender's identity is verified and authenticated.
- Encryption: CAC email certificates encrypt email communications, making it difficult for unauthorized individuals to intercept and read the email.
- Non-repudiation: CAC email certificates provide a digital signature that cannot be repudiated, ensuring that the sender cannot deny sending the email.
How to obtain a CAC email certificate
To obtain a CAC email certificate, military personnel and contractors must follow these steps:
- Enroll in the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) CAC program: Military personnel and contractors must enroll in the DISA CAC program to obtain a CAC card.
- Request a CAC email certificate: Once enrolled, users can request a CAC email certificate from their organization's IT department or a CAC certificate authority.
- Install the CAC certificate: The CAC certificate is installed on the user's computer or mobile device, along with the CAC card reader software.
I hope this information helps!