Thanks to a new White House privacy initiative, servicemembers might be able to retrieve their military benefits through one identification number.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has granted Id.me Inc., a Virginia-based web company, $1.2 million to develop the innovative technology, NextGov reports. Through the potential web system, veterans, Pentagon staff and their families can gain access to many secure websites, including online banking accounts, federal agencies and healthcare companies. NIST officials also said it would help veterans obtain their college financial forms.
According to the news source, the in-development system would expand on Troop ID, a current Internet tool that lets servicemembers and other military personnel log onto commercial websites. NIST states that more than 200,000 servicemembers and veterans already use the system to access their military benefits.
While Troop ID currently uses password-protected technology, developers at Id.me hope to change that. In a world where cybersecurity is a top priority, the web company is attempting to develop a more secure credential that will include passcodes being sent via text message.
"The Troop ID pilot will help Americans, the military community and their families access more secure, privacy-enhancing multi-factor identity solutions that they can use in lieu of passwords in their everyday transactions online," Jeremy Grant, NIST senior executive advisor for identity management, said in a news release.
This potential military access technology builds on the privacy data systems currently in-development by the U.S. government. According to NextGov, the larger White House initiative, National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, envisions a world where citizens will only need one I.D. credential to log onto numerous sites.