Making your home computer CAC ready.
| Making your home computer ready to log in to Enterprise Email, the AKO portal, or any other CAC-required sites is easy. If you have a newer Windows-based computer and a newer Common Access Card it might be as easy as just plugging in the CAC reader! As the Common Access Card has had evolving standards there may be differences based on your specific computer and CAC so follow this checklist to make your home computer CAC ready. Obtain a CAC Reader / Install Drivers Many times your local IT support staff will have spare CAC readers available to loan or issue. You may need to do nothing more than ask your local support staff in order to obtain a CAC reader for home use. If you find that you need to purchase a CAC reader there are many different types. The most common CAC readers are either a part of a keyboard or an external USB device. You can also obtain CAC readers that plug directly into your laptop. The most common models of USB CAC readers are SCM Microsystem's SCR-3310 and SCR-331 and the most common CAC-ready keyboards are Dell's SK3205 or HP's ED707AA. Searching for these model numbers online should return places to purchase these devices at. For more details and information about purchasing a CAC reader for home use please visit http://www.militarycac.com/purchase.htm Under typical conditions your new CAC reader should install automatically. If you plug in your CAC reader and it does not install on its own please visit http://www.militarycac.com/cacdrivers.htm for detailed instructions on installing your CAC reader. If you have an SCR-331 model CAC reader and it still does not work after installing then you might need to update the firmware (software that is stored on the device itself). For information on updating the firmware of your SCR-331 please visit http://www.militarycac.com/videos.htm#firmware Install the DoD Root Certificates NOTE: When executing the DoD Root Certificates or the FBCA Cross-Certificate Remover, it is suggested to download/Save the file, and then right-click and "Run as Administrator" to properly run the file. The trusting of sites over the internet is validated through an independently trusted third party so that the trusting is automatic and transparent to most people. As AKO and most other military sites end with a .mil instead of a .com there is no independent third party trusting authority. By downloading and installing the "DoD Root Certificates" you enable your computer to automatically trust sites in the DoD network such as AKO. This will remove the warning you might see as you browse to AKO saying that it is "untrusted." You will need to install the DoD Root Certificates on a Windows machine in order to use your CAC. Browse to http://www.militarycac.com/dodcerts.htm and follow the directions to download the DoD Root Certificate. You can also obtain the DoD root certificate on AKO at https://www.us.army.mil/suite/doc/33412023 If you receive an error that says the "program did not install correctly," simply click, "this program installed correctly." **Note** Apple systems do not need the DoD Root Certificates. For video instructions please visit: http://www.militarycac.com/videos.htm#DoD Install ActivClient ActivClient is the software package that allows your CAC to communicate with the sites you need to access. Depending on your CAC and the Operating System you use you may not need this software. Identify your CAC type. Take your physical CAC and look on the back of the card above the magnetic strip; the type of CAC your card is will be listed here. If your card is a "Gemalto TOP DL GX4 144" or "Oberthur ID One 128 v5.5 Dual" your CAC is one of the required new models. If your card says something other than this you require the ActivClient software. Identify your OS
Browser Configurations If you have obtained a CAC reader, installed the DoD root certificates, and properly installed ActivClient and you are still having issues accessing Enterprise Email or the AKO portal you may need to adjust, correct, or set some settings of your internet browser. For complete instructions on how to clear your temporary internet files and adjust your security settings in Internet Explorer (any version) please click here https://militarycac.com/files/Making_AKO_work_with_Internet_Explorer_color.pdf For a video on these settings please click here: https://militarycac.com/videos.htm#configure_Internet_Explorer For instructions on how to manage Firefox with CAC please browse to: https://militarycac.com/firefox.htm Firefox may require you to configure the browser by hand before it will recognize your CAC or CAC software. For instructions on configuring Firefox for CAC please read: https://militarycac.com/files/Tech_Note_Firefox_CAC_Authentication.pdf CAC for Macintosh Home Use Unfortunately the AKO service desk is unable to provide any direct assistance with a Macintosh system. If you need guidance on configuring your Mac for CAC access to Enterprise Email and the AKO portal please visit http://www.militarycac.com/apple.htm DISA's Information Assurance Support Environment page provides instructions on using a CAC reader with Mac OS X. It covers:
The instructions can be found at: |
