ActivClient (from ActivIdentity) allows your CAC-reader to communicate with Windows for strong authentication using smart cards and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).  If you find ActivClient freely available on the Internet, It’s probably malware.  ActivClient middleware is only available from within protected .mil sites thus creating a Catch-22; you need ActivClient installed to obtain ActivClient.  Until now!  By using the free Lightweight Portable Security – Public Edition (LPS-Public) CD (or via USB), you can “CAC-in,” download the file(s) to a thumb drive, then go back into Windows, and install ActivClient.  Here’s how….

The following is abbreviated from the DoD Software Protection Initiative’s LPS Quick Start Guide and LPS User Manual on http://spi.dod.mil/lipose.htm and guidance from this site's ActivClient page and AKO’s CAC Reference Center.  If you encounter problems, please consult these documents and sites first.

1.  Create a bootable LPS-Public CD.  

     a)      Download and save the LPS-Public ISO image from http://spi.dod.mil/lipose.htm. 

     b)      Burn the image to a blank CD using common ISO burning software, see http://spi.dod.mil/lipose_burn.htm

     c)       If the computer lacks a CD drive, LPS-Public contains a Windows script to make LPS-Public boot from a USB thumb drive.  You’ll need to mount the .iso (make it appear to be a CD to the computer) in order to run the script.

2.  Prepare your computer.  Insert the LPS-Public CD, connect a network cable to your computer’s home network (if using Wi-Fi, wait until step 4), connect a USB CCID-compliant smartcard reader (examples: SCR-331, 3310, & 3500), and insert your CAC into the reader.  Have a USB thumb drive ready.

3.  Restart your computer with the LPS CD in the drive.  If LPS-Public doesn’t boot automatically, configure your computer to boot from CD.  On a PC, change the boot priority to CD before the hard drive in the Boot Order menu or BIOS (image on left).  On an [Intel processor] Mac, hold down the “c” key immediately after hitting the power button.

4.  If using Wi-Fi:  Configure the Network Manager (screen’s lower right 2 PC icon)

5.  If you have an SCR-331 CAC Reader, this is an excellent opportunity to update the firmware on the reader, read instructions on page 36