{"id":13981,"date":"2022-08-16T11:58:52","date_gmt":"2022-08-16T11:58:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/08\/16\/why-us-army-network-leaders-are-so-interested-in-identity-management\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:08:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:08:31","slug":"why-us-army-network-leaders-are-so-interested-in-identity-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/land\/2022\/08\/16\/why-us-army-network-leaders-are-so-interested-in-identity-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Why US Army network leaders are so interested in identity management"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. \u2014 U.S. Army officials overseeing the modernization of the service\u2019s networks have identified what they call \u201cbig bets,\u201d or game-changers that bring the force of the future one step closer to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among them is what\u2019s known as identity, credential and access management, or ICAM, a means of tailoring what information is available to a person while also keeping tabs on those plugged in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Defense published an ICAM strategy<\/a> in March 2020, in which the department recognized its own failures to \u201cmaximize the strategic, operational, and tactical benefits of information sharing.\u201d Leaders have more recently said ICAM realization is pivotal to Joint All-Domain Command and Control, the Pentagon\u2019s ambitious vision of seamless communication across land, air, sea, space and cyber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a recent interview with C4ISRNET, Army Maj. Gen. Jeth Rey, director of the Network Cross-Functional Team, and Nicholaus Saacks, deputy program executive officer for command, control and communications-tactical, talked about ICAM, its repercussions and potential timelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portions of the conversation<\/a> below were edited for clarity and brevity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is ICAM? Why does it matter?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maj. Gen. Jeth Rey:<\/b> Identity, credential and access management is huge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where we\u2019re trying to move away from the complexity on the transport and now secure the data at the data layer. If we\u2019re going to truly move to this data-centric environment, identity management is part of that zero-trust architecture<\/a> that\u2019s going to actually get us there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So that\u2019s a big bet we\u2019re making. I think all the services, across the board, are on board when it comes to that. When you think about JADC2, identity management is going to be a big part of us achieving it, so that we can know all identities, including our coalition partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not only from a U.S. service perspective, but also from a joint and coalition perspective<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does ICAM work? Is it like a banking app?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rey:<\/b> Exactly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You secure a connection with the data environment. It identifies your identity through your eyes, your biometrics, and then it allows you access to data that your credentials will allow for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it has boundaries<\/a>, so you don\u2019t go left or you can\u2019t go right. It quarantines you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicholaus Saacks:<\/b> I think a good example \u2014 just to take that banking app example further \u2014 is in our house, we have USAA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I have a USAA number, my wife has a USAA number, my kids have USAA numbers. We all have our own accounts, we have joint accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I log into USAA, I can see all the joint accounts, I can see the kids\u2019 stuff. I can\u2019t see my wife\u2019s IRA. When she logs in, she can see all the joint stuff, the kids\u2019 stuff. She can\u2019t see my IRA. If we log in with one of the kids\u2019 credentials, we can see their stuff. They can\u2019t see our checking account<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on which one I choose to log in with, it\u2019ll show me the data I\u2019m allowed to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\t