Smartcard Login Advice

[0ddball]

I'm looking for some advice on what seems to be a very crowded topic. It's not that information is hard to come by on it, it's just that most if it is rubbish or horrificly bias by a provider.

I am opening a cyber café - I want to give smartcards to my members so they can log in to my machines. I want to do this using Windows Server 2003.

Which cards do I need? Which software do I need?

Two questions you would think are simple but seem to be increasingly annoying.

Please remember that I will be giving out many, many of these cards - most of which I will not see again. They need to be cheep - like the budgie.


Yet another unchecked rambling brought to you by:
Oddball

 

[iownroot]

http://www.rsasecurity.com

http://www.didya.com/

http://www.athena-scs.com/product.asp?pid=22

All three of these work with Windows, and you get the needed software from the same vendor. There's no way around it, you're going to have to do some reading and research on the products and figure out which best meets your needs.

CISSP,ISC2 Affiliate & Instructor, MCT, MCSE2K/2K3, MCSA, CEH, Security+, Network+, CTT+, A+

 

[0ddball]

I suppose the main part of my question and the thing that I can't quite work out is:

Can I use cheapy cheapy smart cards for Windows Login or do I have to get all singing, all dancing, self encrypting smart cards that cost £20 each?


Yet another unchecked rambling brought to you by:
Oddball

 

[Grenage]

It's not going to be financially viable to use the £20 cards unless you require deposits to ensure their safe return, is it?


Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[0ddball]

Absolutly not - and that's the root of my question.

From what I can gather from all the >>supplier<< sites, they want me to buy their 'Designed for Windows' cards.

I don't want to buy their 'Designed for Windows' cards. It's a cybercafé, not a bank.

Can I tell them to stuff their expensive cards and send me a chunk of cheap ones, or do I need to find a new gimmik?


Yet another unchecked rambling brought to you by:
Oddball

 

[Grenage]

It's really a question of logistics but I would say so, I'd personally opt for the cheap cards. With the computers being in your café and not remote, you shouldn't have too much of a problem.


Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[0ddball]

Heh - curse the internet for it's lack of intonation in messages.

I'm not particuarly bothered about the security of the thing - it's the feasibility. Can Windows login work with a cheap card or is there something special about the expensive ones that allow them to use the smartcard login technology.

(I know all about the smartcard login technology, certification authorities, etc. - I just don't want to buy expensive cards.)

What do I need to store on the cards? (I know I need the certificate, but what else)

I swear to god - I'm going to start a 'complicatedthingsexplainedsimply.com' to put techy things in stupid person terms so I can get my head arround them.


Yet another unchecked rambling brought to you by:
Oddball