In Focus: Top Eight Benefits of Extended Smart Cards

1. Smart card storage limitation problems are solved. New data is stored in the virtual card rather than on the smart card.
2. Support for read-only smart cards. In cases in which users are prevented from making changes to the smart card, such as identity cards issued by authorities, it is impossible to store parameters and additional keys on the smart card. Instead, these credentials can be stored on the Extension Virtual Card.

3. Support for devices without storage capacity. Even devices such as mobile telephones and certain USB tokens that cannot do much more than provide an RSA key pair and encryption capabilities can serve as protection devices for Extension Virtual Cards.
4. Protection of smart card investment. The functionality of existing hardware can be extended over time without replacing all of the smart cards.
5. Quick driver development. Because less is required of the smart card, development of new smart card drivers is simplified. Some existing PKCS #11 modules may even be used off-the-shelf.
6. Support for multiple smart card devices with the same level of system functionality. Since the smart card functionality is extended, it is possible for an organization to mix different smart card types and manage them in a uniform way.
7. Reduced administration. If the smart card is the sole way of accessing a system and the sole bearer of the user's credentials, it causes administrative overhead when the user loses the smart card. However, if the smart card is used only as a key to the Extension Virtual Card, it is possible to replace the smart card without losing any credential information. A new smart card can simply be assigned to the Extension Virtual Card, which allows the user to continue to access systems in the enterprise and user credentials stored in the virtual card.
8. Improved virtual card encryption protection. An Extended Smart Card is much harder to attack cryptographically than a password-protected virtual card.