I think CAC stands for Common Access Card. I had one when i worked for the Defense Department. It contains you photo a chip that stores information. It is used an an ordinary ID card and can be used as a special ID/Access card using the chip feature in the card. I had one connected to my computer at work and had to insert my card and enter my password in order to log into the computer. The card had to remain in the reader for computer access. Using a CAC with the iPad would seem to require an app and I do not see any in the App Store if it could be used at all since it is really not a supported USB device.
Information for apple mac users only NOTE: For whatever reason, in order to access some of the Navy CAC-enabled sites, you must CANCEL when it first asks for your PIN. After canceling, you can then choose your certificate, and it will give you a second opportunity to enter your PIN. Web, email & VPN with CAC/PIV for Mac. PKard ® for Mac replaces the native macOS PKI solution to provide users with a solid product with full, free, U.S. Based support. It is the same commercial code used by the Pentagon, all six DoD services, White House, NIH, and DOI across tens of thousands of Mac users since the mid-2000s.
I provide FREE assistance to people with CAC problems. I do not get compensation, financial otherwise when I'm recommending people to visit my website to find answers to thier questions. Evidently, I was advertising when I gave the link to my Apple support page. I felt that posting a URL to a location that people could use to get their CAC working on their MAC was a good idea. I'm going to try once again to post the url to my Use your CAC on your MAC webpag. So, if it is stripped out again by the Apple Discussions forums moderators you know why. I guess I should put another disclaimer to make this really legal.
I DO NOT charge people for the knowledge I place on my website. I seriously doubt that Apple would ever permit a third-party smart card reader into its MFi program, a prerequisite in order to connect via Bluetooth or the 30-pin connector (WiFi would never pass industry or gov't scrutiny). For one, there are no publicly available interfaces in the Cocoa Touch framework to accommodate low-level reader I/O. Two, since iPhads do not support drivers, there would have to be a standard protocol, like AirPrint, but for readers, and there is no such effort to my knowledge. You have to imagine that a host of applications, esp. Mobile Safari, would want to interact with such a reader, so Apple would have to bake in transactional support and a heavy layer of security.
Words for level up. A pure guess is that Apple is entertaining the notion of creating their own reader for a future iPhad. Due to power and space issues, expect it to be contactless with a 2-3 cm range.
Software Necessary For Mac Cac Reader Scr3310
An external reader is possible, but may require supplemental power due to the 3V dock port limitation. Most chips still require 5V but are trending toward 3V, and until this is something that Apple can bank on, don't expect it anytime soon. These are just my opinions, so please take them with a grain of salt. Bill- This is the problem as I see it.
This is both a hardware and a software issue, and not easily resolved. First- hardware: a common access card reader requires power to read the data on the card chip. All card readers require power from the USB port, and the iPad does not seem to push enough power out to make the reader work properly. Thus, a reader will have to be built with an internal power source, or rebuilt so that it requires less energy. The second option is more feasible for the end user, because adding internal power, or an external cable will make it too bulky for portability. Second- Software: For a CAC reader to work, the software must read the encrypted signature key off of the card and prompt for a password, thus unlocking the card and the Key. This key must then be made available to whatever web browser or application is being used that requires the key when prompted by the website.