Filed under: Software
CAC for Mac
For government and military employees, your Common Access Card (CAC) is your link to secure computers and networked resources. It features an encrypted form of credential on a smart chip located on the card. Thursby Software has updated ADmitMac for CAC, which securely integrates Macs with the CAC architecture. ADmitMac authorizes users for a particular workstation, allows them access to network resources using secure SMB connections, and locks the workstation when the CAC is removed.
On the server side, ADmitMac works with Mac OS X Workgroup Manager to fully support Managed Desktop environments with no schema changes. It also allows for full printer sharing.
The software requires a compatible CAC reader, and Mac OS X 10.4. The software is $199, and volume discounts are available.
[Via Macworld.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Oliver said 3:05PM on 5-28-2008
dude, I was around BEFORE the big bang!
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wedge said 3:18PM on 5-28-2008
I'm an Active Duty using my CAC on my Mac (@ home). Still can't seem to convince anyone here to buy me one for work. There are free options using FireFox (Apple is holding out on Safari for some reason.) I used this guide (which needs updating) to use the CAC on my Mac. That's just fun to say, isn't it?
MHO, the wedge
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THJ said 4:00PM on 5-28-2008
Best picture ever.
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Derek said 6:04PM on 5-28-2008
Wedge, what guide are you referring to? I'd just like to be able to check my AF.mil email from home on my Mac.
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Tom said 5:43PM on 6-04-2008
The free DOD configuration plugin for Firefox works well on Tiger (not so much on leopard--no success there for me yet). Read the instructions at http://caconmac.openboxconcepts.com/node/12 first as they need to be followed explicitly. I use an SCR3310 reader and can get onto the portal just fine.
skyman375 said 8:06PM on 5-28-2008
Derek,
If you're using Outlook Web Access, you should be able to just plug in a "newer" CAC reader. The CAC certificate will show up in the Keychain, and you should be able to log in using Safari(I've had no luck with Firefox or Camino). I had tried it with an older CAC reader, and it didn't work. If you're using (I think) 10.4 or later, support is built in, and the Keychain app fills the same role Activecard does on the Windows side.
I've used this to access Navy (NMCI) webmail, and Army Knowledge Online (AKO).
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PC said 2:37AM on 5-29-2008
If you just want to access CAC-required websites (not integrate with Active Directory), then you do not need to download this software. As of Mac OS 10.4, the CAC infrastructure is integrated into the OS. The beige ActivClient card readers need to be flashed in order to work properly (see this website for a HOWTO: http://www.army.mil/AKO/info/guides/CACconfig/setup/index.html), but I've had great success with the black Litronic card readers. I just pop the card in the card reader and it shows up in my keychain. Safari automatically recognizes it. I had to install a DOD plugin on Firefox to get that to work.
Having said that, if you got one of the new ID cards in the last year or so, the libraries on Mac OS 10.5 don't recognize it. I have gotten those to work by downloading the above mentioned software. See this website for a description of how to do that:
http://lists.apple.com/archives/fed-talk/2008/Jan/msg00100.html
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