MAC OSX Guide
Still no idea why this is happening – on other versions of OS X my smart card credentials transparently passed onto the OS. Still – consider the Centrify software if you don’t want to spend $29. I need to use a HHS PIV card to remotely access computer systems from a brand new Macbook air running OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Centrify Smart Card. Added support for smart card login on Debian 9 (x8664) or later and Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (x8664) or later. Centrify Licensing Service. Enhanced the section 'DirectControl Workstation – ALL (summary)' in the Deployment Report to include the count of zoneless systems.
*Please go to amazon or whatever retailer you'd like and buy the cac card reader to the right. I found this cac card reader on amazon for just under $12.00. If you click on the image it will bring you to the page. I highly recommend you use this reader instead of other CAC Card Readers due to the potential security flaws.*
In previous guides, they recommend you to open up a Virtual Windows box to access AKO and do your work. They also ask you to disable security settings that are built in. Why on earth would you want to do that? While your accessing your military information? Pointless! It is recommended to use the Safari web browser to access AKO.
1. go to website located on the right and fill out the form. Accept the EULA and download the installation package for your OS version.
2. Install the file and then reboot your computer.
3. Open Smart Card Assistant, (Applications >Utilities > Keychain Access > Centrify) see if SCM Microsystem shows up. Insert card, click refresh and see if Authentication attempts remaining shows up.
4. Download DODCerts.zip, which is located to the right, extract them, Select All (Command + A) and double click. Press Add a bunch of times. (It’ll happen a lot.)
5. Open Keychain Assistant (Applications > Utilities > Keychain Access) On top left, a CACN Keychain will appear. Click it to view all the certs on the card. Click the lock on the upper Left to unlock it.
Congrats! You are now able to log into AKO and access webmail! And the best part is, you do not have to change any internet options in Safari to make this work!
Individuals who have a valid authorized need to access DoD Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)- protected information but do not have access to a government site or government-furnished equipment will need to configure their systems to access PKI-protected content.
Centrify Express For Smart Card
Accessing DoD PKI-protected information is most commonly achieved using the PKI certificates stored on your Common Access Card (CAC). The certificates on your CAC can allow you to perform routine activities such as accessing OWA, signing documents, and viewing other PKI-protected information online. For more information about your CAC and the information stored on it, visit http://www.cac.mil.
Before you begin, make sure you know your organization’s policies regarding remote use.
Centrify Express For Smart Card
Windows
To get started you will need:
- CAC
- Card reader
- Middleware (if necessary, depending on your operating system version)
You can get started using your CAC by following these basic steps:
- Get a card reader.
At this time, the best advice for obtaining a card reader is to work with your home component to get one. In addition, please review the DoD CAC Reader Specifications for more information regarding the requirements for a card reader. - Install middleware, if necessary.
You may need additional middleware, depending on the operating system you use. Please contact your CC/S/A for more information on the middleware requirements for your organization. You can find their contact information on our Contact Us tab. - Install DoD root certificates with InstallRoot (32-bit, 64-bit or Non Administrator).
In order for your machine to recognize your CAC certificates and DoD websites as trusted, run the InstallRoot utility (32-bit, 64-bit or Non Administrator) to install the DoD CA certificates on Microsoft operating systems. If you’re running an alternate operating system such as Mac OS or Linux, you can import certificates from the PKCS 7 bundle. The InstallRoot User Guide is available here. - Make certificates available to your operating system and/or browser, if necessary.
Pick your browser for specific instructions.
Mac
To get started you will need:
- CAC (see note below)
- Card reader
You can get started using your CAC on your Mac OS X system by following these basic steps:
- Get a card reader
Typically Macs do not come with card readers and therefore an external card reader is necessary. At this time, the best advice for obtaining a card reader is through working with your home component. In addition, please review the DoD CAC Reader Specifications for more information regarding card reader requirements. - Download and install the OS X Smartcard Services package
The OS X Smartcard Services Package allows a Mac to read and communicate with a smart card. In order for your machine to recognize your CAC certificates and DoD websites as trusted, the installer will load the DoD CA certificates on OS X. Please refer to this page for specific installation instructions. - Address the cross-certificate chaining Issue
These instructions walk through adjusting the trust settings on the Interoperability Root CA (IRCA) > DoD Root CA 2 and the US DoD CCEB IRCA 1 > DoD Root CA 2 certificates to prevent cross-certificate chaining issues. This can make it appear that your certificates are issued by roots other than the DoD Root CA 2 and can prevent access to DoD websites. - Configure Chrome and Safari, if necessary
Safari and Google Chrome rely on Keychain Access properly recognizing your CAC certificates.- In Finder, navigate to Go > Utilities and launch KeychainAccess.app
- Verify that your CAC certificates are recognized and displayed in Keychain Access
Note: CACs are currently made of different kinds of card stock. To determine what card stock you have, look at the back of your CAC above the magnetic strip. Most CACs are supported by the Smartcard Services package, however Oberthur ID One 128 v5.5 CACs are not. Third party middleware is available that will support these CACS; two such options are Thursby Software’s PKard and Centrify’s Express for Smart Card.
Linux
To get started you will need:
- CAC
- Card reader
- Middleware
You can get started using your CAC with Firefox on Linux machines by following these basic steps:
- Get a card reader.
At this time, the best advice for obtaining a card reader is to work with your home component to get one. In addition, please review the DoD CAC Reader Specifications for more information regarding the requirements for a card reader. - Obtain middleware.
You will need middleware for Linux to communicate with the CAC. The CoolKey PKCS#11 module provides access to the CAC and can be installed using Linux package management commands.- For Debian-based distributions, use the command apt-get install coolkey
- For Fedora-based distributions, use the command yum install coolkey. The CoolKey PKCS #11 module version 1.1.0 release 15 ships with RHEL 5.7 and above and is located at /usr/lib/pkcs11/libcoolkeypk11.so.
If you prefer to build CoolKey from source, instructions are included in the Configuring Firefox for the CAC guide.
- Configure Firefox to trust the DoD PKI and use the CAC.
To configure Firefox to communicate with the CAC, follow these steps to install the DoD root and intermediate CA certificates into the Firefox NSS trust store, load the CoolKey library, and ensure the Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) is being used to perform revocation checking.
Next Steps
Your internet browser is now configured to access DoD websites using the certificates on your CAC. Now that your machine is properly configured, please login and visit our End Users page for more information on using the PKI certificates on your CAC.