ECA Program

The Department of Defense (DoD) is rapidly implementing the DoD Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to enable cryptographic security services for computer applications and networks.  However, there are many external contractors and other organizations with which the DoD communicates that will not be issued DoD PKI certificates.  The Interim External Certification Authority (IECA) PKI program was implemented by DoD to provide a mechanism for these external entities to obtain certificates.

IECA/ECA certificates are used in communications (commonly email and web servers) to protect Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU) information in the interest of Information Assurance (IA), Operation Security (OPSEC) and anti-terrorism.  They are also used to enable and improve electronic business processes.  In today's world, where the DoD relies more and more on commercial contractors to accomplish its war-fighting mission, and where terrorism is a primary concern, the IECA/ECA PKI is a vital tool in protecting SBU information that might give our adversaries an advantage.

The IECA program is now being transitioned to the External Certification Authority (ECA).  One ECA is operational and it is anticipated that the remaining IECA PKIs will be operational within the next several months, at which time this website will be updated.  Any DoD organization having an immediate need for PKI to protect external communications should use the existing ECA/IECA PKI now.  All IECA certificates issued from now until the ECA PKI is operational will be supported to the end of their lifespan.

For more information on ECA, please read the ECA White Paper

Follow these 3 steps for obtaining an IECA certificate:
 

	1. Do I meet the Eligibility Criteria?
	2. What type(s) of certificate(s) do I need?
	3. Where do I go to download the certificate and how do I configure my system to use this certificate?

For additional information about the IECA/ECA program, the following links have been provided:
 

IECA/ECA VENDORS	LINKS
DOCUMENTS	FAQS

 

NEWS

The Information Assurance (IA) panel, co-chaired by the Defense Information Assurance Program (DIAP) and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (J6K), strongly endorses the IECA PKI program.  The IA Panel recommends that DoD organizations communicating with external entities identify all opportunities to use this capability and implement its use as soon as possible.