Soldiers could soon have an easier way to access Army online resources. The service is looking into alternatives to its current multifactor authentication approach to better meet workforce needs and to bolster security.
Army officials are exploring two options: an authentication-type app that can be downloaded to a mobile device and a USB-type device known as a Yubikey.
MFA requires at least two types of evidence to grant a user access: something the user has and something the user knows.
Soldiers today use their Common Access Card and personal identification number to log into government computer systems, but those in the Reserve or National Guard donāt always have consistent access to these systems, said Thaddeus Underwood, Identity Management and Communications Security division chief.
"If there is online training that they need to do ā¦ they could potentially do that from home if they have a CAC and CAC reader," he said in an Army 17 release. "How do we provide them that level of access without having to use a CAC?"
Army officials are currently integration testing Yubikeys and will start user and field testing next month.