Fort Belvoir, Va. (March 27, 2014) - Recently the garrison participated in the state-wide tornado drill.

The alarm went off, emergency phone calls rang throughout the building and the emergency notification popped up on my screen informing me that I should be in the basement away from windows so I could remain safe.

As I walked downstairs and past offices I couldn't help but notice several computers still up and running with the common access card (CAC) still in them.

That's a clear security issue for you and the entire computer network. While I know in an actual emergency you should be more concerned about life and limb, it only takes a second to pull your card from the reader.

In my younger days (as a crypto-linguist), when we found an unlocked account there could be serious consequences; we were after all dealing with classified documents. If you were lucky, one of your buddies would just log you out of the system. If you made it a habit, someone might send funny emails (from your account) to everyone on flight announcing something probably not true but very embarrassing. If you still didn't get the hint, you might find your badge or access card in a block of ice in the freezer. In those days you needed your card to get in or out of the building, so you'd spend some time thawing your badge before you could go home.

The unlucky ones got locked out of their accounts by the flight leader, who could change your password if you were still logged in. Some serious offenders had even gotten Article 15s.

However it was a closed system that never went out of the building. On today's Army network, it only takes one unsecure computer to take down the entire network, and of course the breach can and will be traced back to your card.

You can do your part by just pulling your card and keeping positive accountability of it at all times.

If you don't, people can put their own photo on the card and pose as you. They can try to sell it on the black market; from there someone may be able to hack the card to get your pass code. It's like a regular person stealing your professional identification or work phone.

Be aware who's coming in and out of your section and always report suspicious activity. If you lose your card, report it immediately to your security officer. You will be required to present documentation from the local security office or CAC sponsor confirming that the CAC has been reported lost or stolen. This documentation must be scanned and stored in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).