Identifying the Processes That Require Smart Cards

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

A smart card deployment can help your organization meet numerous sensitive business requirements. You can use smart cards for any or all of the following processes:

  • Interactive user logons, including remote access connections to the network

  • Administrator logons

  • Third-party authentication across the Internet

  • Signing and encrypting e-mail

Evaluate additional equipment and administrative costs, procedures, and changes to user work patterns that each smart card–enabled process requires. Ensure that the benefits of deploying smart cards for each process outweigh the costs from hardware, administration, and potential user difficulties.

For a worksheet to assist you in documenting the processes in your organization that require smart cards, see "User and Group Smart Card Requirements" (DSSSMC_1.doc) on the Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003 Deployment Kit companion CD (or see "User and Group Smart Card Requirements" on the Web at https://www.microsoft.com/reskit).