The certificates are stored on the cards by an authorized administrator. Smart cards used for logon authentication generally store a digital certificate that contains user identification information, the user’s public key, and the signature of the trusted third party that issued the certificate, as well as a time for which the certificate is valid. They’re also inexpensive in comparison with biometrics authentication devices. The cards are generally resistant to tampering and relatively difficult for a hacker to compromise, because they are self-contained. This provides an extra level of security, the “something you have” factor. Smart cards can also be used for network logon authentication. These cards are especially popular in Europe. Banks use smart cards for conducting transactions.
Satellite television services use smart cards in the SATV receiver to identify the subscriber and that subscriber’s service level. Smart cards can be used for different purposes, but one of the most popular is for authentication. A smart card reader-a hardware device-is needed to write to and read the information on the card. In a broad sense, it refers to any plastic credit-card-size card that has a computer chip (a memory chip and/or a tiny microprocessor) embedded in it to hold information that can be changed (as opposed to less “smart” cards that use a magnetic strip that holds static information). The term smart card has several different meanings.
In Microsoft Vista for IT Security Professionals, 2007 Smart Card Authentication
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