LAS VEGAS -- The security of the Internet requires that anonymity be driven out of the network, the top information-security officer for the U.S. Department of Defense told attendees at the Black Hat Security Conference.

Calling for a cybersecurity czar for identity, Robert Lentz, deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber, identity and information assurance, argued that access to sensitive systems and economically important computers will require much greater assurance of a person's identity. Cloud computing will only make the discussion more pressing, he added.

"I know that a very rich discussion is going to go on regarding identity driving anonymity out of the network, because of privacy concerns, legitimate privacy issues," Lentz said. "But it is pivotal to everything that we have to do relative to having this fragile ecosystem become more robust."

The comments came as the Obama administration searches for its own cybersecurity policy. In May, the administration released its Cyberspace Policy Review, which set forth ten short-term priorities for the administration, including establishing a top cyber post and creating a vision for identity management in cyberspace. Among the medium-term priorities, the report asked for programs to expand the cybersecurity workforce and the development of better processes for sharing information about cyber incidents.

Saying that the Internet is one of the most important assets for the military, Lentz added that the Department of Defense aims to help strengthen the underpinnings of the network, improve software security, better manage attack surfaces and improve cyber awareness.

Among the most important issues, however, is identity, he said. The Department of Defense has rolled out a massive public-key encryption infrastructure (PKI) with its common access card (CAC) program.

"We can't afford to have multiple identity capabilities," he said. "That is a huge challenge for everyone, even in the Pentagon. I have my common access card for PKI, but then I have another badge to get into the Pentagon, and we can't do that."