Using smart cards

Some organizations augment their security policy by requiring users to authenticate using smart cards. A smart card is a plastic card, much like your credit card or bank card, with a built-in microprocessor and is used for personal identification. The microprocessor replaces the magnetic strip you usually see on credit cards and bank cards. The data on magnetic strips can be easily read, written, or deleted with off-the-shelf equipment. Smart cards have memory and a microprocessor. They use a serial interface for data communications and receive power from a card reader. The card reader draws its power from the USB port it is plugged in to, typically a thin client. The smart card and card reader communicate with the server to authenticate a user. Setting up smart card authentication can be tricky. I don't have enough room in this book to cover the topic and it is not an exact science. Smart cards will have different nuances depending on which smart cards and card readers...