Wot no smart card?

[imadoofus]

My new Dell notebook has a built in smart card reader.

Where can I get a smart card from? Dell don't seem to sell them (and Dell are currently not talking to me anyway...)

TIA

PJ

 

[KillerHERTZ]

What sort of Smart card?

Do you mean memory card?

 

[imadoofus]

No, I mean a smart card, for security. Looks like a chip and pin credit card. Plonk it in the reader, get prompted for a PIN, bingo.

PJ

 

[pammy]

Why would you want one? I use one for work - all our kit runs on them. No way I'd want a personal machine to have one.

Will the machine work without it?

You'll need card manager software with it too that you can run via another PC. You'll also need more than one card- as they do become damaged and fail to function. I'd get rid of it tbh.

 

[imadoofus]

I don't know that I do want one really. The machine's got a fingerprint reader to protect the HDD at a BIOS level (apparently), which should be sufficient.

I just wondered where I might get one from if I wanted it. I'm nervous that the fingerprint reader may fail, so I'd prefer to use a smart card if I wanted any additional security.

My previous Asus laptop was only password protected, and I do keep everything backed up at home, but my laptop contains my business, and if the thing comes with additional security features, then I thought I may as well check out the options.

PJ

PS; Yes, it works fine without any of these features turned on.

Ta

PJ

 

[GrahamC230K]

I was about to say biometric devices seem to be making a come back....

The current generation ones I have seen really work very well.

 

[masqueraid]

The new generation of fingerprint readers do seem to be excellent but the corporate business community does seem to be going down the smart card line. It's now built in to the Dell 410, 610 and 810 models supplied through Dell's business side. Personally I think Dell have missed a trick here in not offering media and software to go with then so personal users can lock (and then invariably pay for an unlock when they lose break or wipe their card). Particularly with Vista Ultimate's Bitlocker coming on-stream now.

If you want to play with your toy's full potential try getting a sample card kit from somewhere like this (go for their development pack and you can program the cards too!). For most people though a password protected NTFS folder would be adequate (unless you are a government official with a propensity for leaving your laptop on the backseat )

 

[imadoofus]

(unless you are a government official with a propensity for leaving your laptop on the backseat )

Thanks Masque!

Nothing so sinsiter (or cool), I'm afraid. the fact is that if my new laptop has security features, it seems daft not to explore them.

PJ

 

[Sp!ke]

I was about to say biometric devices seem to be making a come back....

The current generation ones I have seen really work very well.

The biometric readers are currently a security nightmare.

They offer a choice of normal logon *or* a fingerprint - not instead of. So it gives an attacker twice the chances of finding a way in.

Also, a simple photocopy of someones finger print works with these readers so they are shockingly easy to bypass. The required prints will be all over the keyboard. All you need is a simple fingerprint kit, some tape and a photocopier and your in.

One should consider two factor authorisation with a physical key in conjunction with a secret password.

The Dell smart card reader is more designed for the upcoming banking and shopping security facilities rather than windows login. (although it is possible to do with this third part software). http://www.360degreeweb.com/Otaniumsuite_pki.html

We'll be seeing lots of this shortly with the likes of ebay offering smart cards to account holders to protect their ebay identities. Dell were a little too quick off the mark on this one however and kind of missed the point.

 

[imadoofus]

They offer a choice of normal logon *or* a fingerprint - not instead of. So it gives an attacker twice the chances of finding a way in.

My Dell's fingerprint thing works on the bios, and that's where it's activated.

When you boot the PC, it immediately askes for a fingerprint scan. the idea is that even with the HDD removed from the machine, it can't be read.

In theory, I can set the win logon for normal or fingerprint, but in practice, it never asks for nor accepts a fingerprint.

So at the mo, I've got it all turned off.

PJ