Common access card authentication solution from Ricoh

Ricoh announced the availability of its Common Access Card (CAC) Authentication Solution for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). As part of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) each DoD department must adhere to a standardized common smart card identification system. Ricoh’s CAC solution was developed in response to HSPD-12 and as a means to secure the DoD’s computer infrastructure and other critical devices including connected multifunctional products (MFPs) that would allow individuals access to network and device resources.

The CAC Authentication Solution was designed as a simple yet effective tool that all branches of the DoD, including the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, can implement in order to control physical access control to facilities and logical access control to the department’s computer network. The CAC smart card along with Ricoh’s CAC solution allows active duty personnel, selected reservists, civilian employees, and eligible contractors to securely access confidential or propriety documents and data across the DoD’s MFP resources.

Ricoh Aficio MFPs configured to work with the CAC Authentication Solution only grant access to users with valid CAC cards and credentials, otherwise the MFPs functions are locked until the user’s credentials are confirmed. To operate the MFP a military worker or contractor would insert their CAC Card into the card reader and enter their authentication PIN. The operator’s credentials, embedded on the card, are compared against the DoD’s database of authorized users and during the authentication process the device will either grant or deny access to the user based on their credentials.

Serving as a vital countermeasure to help establish MFP security and accountability practices the Ricoh CAC Authentication Solution and MFPs employ multiple technologies, including photo identification, encryption measures, magnetic stripes, radio frequency transmitters, and biometric information to safeguard the DoD’s network infrastructure and the information of the over 450,000 troops and civilians that work with the department worldwide.