The U.S. Army plans to deploy an authenticator app that will provide an alternative for personnel seeking to log into systems without a Common Access Card, FedScoop reported Monday. The Army is continuing a pilot program to assess the capacity of the YubiKeys app in an effort to expand system access to users without a physical card or token.
YubiKeys makes use of USB tokens and multifactor authentication to verify user credentials and enable remote log-ins through devices and mobile phones. The service is continuing testing activities and is slated to conclude the pilot effort with over 1,000 participants this month.
“Multifactor authentication for the Army is a game changer for our Soldiers,” Lee James, project director for enterprise services at the Army. “It allows Soldiers the convenience and capability of conducting business in a secure way from their own devices and on their own time.”
If successful, the pilot will result in additional purchases of YubiKeys USB tokens which may be used to allow log-ins during remote training and emergency response activities. YubiKeys will not serve as a replacement for CAC, according to the report.
