Practical Security Solutions Using Smartcards

Feb 05, 1999

Abstract

The University of Michigan's Center for Information technology Integration is taking a pragmatic and experimental approach to integrating smartcards with conventional distributed computing technologies. The focus is on melding the inherent security of smartcard storage and cryptography with the security middleware prevalent in many higher education institutions.
In this talk I will describe some of the exciting smartcard solutions being investigated and deployed at CITI, including integration with Kerberos and other symmetric key systems, PalmPilot and JavaCard applications, Internet access to smartcards, and extending conventional file systems to work transparently with ISO7816 files. The last of these allows, e.g., secure, portable, and transparent storage of web cookies on smartcards, emblematic of the kinds of security solutions smartcards enabled when fully integrated with enterprise middleware.