The Department of Defense (DoD) Directive Number 8100.2 was issued on April 14, 2004, and went into effect immediately. The directive covers the use of commercial wireless devices, services, and technologies in the DoD Global Information Grid (GIG). 8100.2 spells out policies for deploying secure wireless networks, and requires monitoring of those wireless networks for compliance. Additionally, the directive states that wireless networks are banned from use in certain areas, and it covers policies for banned and authorized wireless networks.

The directive applies to all DoD organizations and states that WLAN systems used by the DoD must:

• Encrypt traffic per Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication (PUB) 140-2
• Comply with DoD Directive 8500.1 and DoD Instruction 8500.2 Common Criteria for Information Assurance (CC for IA)
• Be certified and accredited in accordance with DoD Instruction 5200.40
• Meet the requirements of DoD Information Technology Security Certification and Accreditation Process (DITSCAP)
• Include strong authentication, non-repudiation, and personal identification
• Provide security based upon Wi-Fi standard 802.11i

Directive 8100.2 applies to all commercial wireless devices, services, and technologies, including voice and data capabilities. It includes, but is not limited to, commercial wireless networks and Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs), such as laptop computers with wireless capability, cellular / Personal Communications System (PCS) devices, audio / video recording devices, scanning devices, remote sensors, messaging devices, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and any other commercial wireless devices capable of storing, processing, or transmitting information.