DOD Making IDs Less Vulnerable: As a means of combating identity theft, the Department of Defense over the next two years is phasing out the practice of issuing identification cards with the holder’s full social security number. Between 2009 and 2010, all DOD-issued identification cards will feature only the last four digits of the holder’s SSN, said Mary Dixon, director of the Defense Manpower Data Center, April 3. Modern information technology obviates the need to include the full social security numbers on ID cards of department employees and their family members, Dixon said. New identification cards will be issued as they reach their expiration dates. DOD Tricare has already removed SSNs from its members’ identification cards, she said. (DOD report by Gerry J. Gilmore)
The Air Force is shoring up its cyber defenses both on and off base for critical infrastructure such as water and electrical power, and industry experts are calling for more, even specialized, dedicated microgrids offsite to support USAF operations in case of a total blackout caused by cyberattacks.
