| Because smart cards store the passwords needed to access various corporate applications, the help desk doesn't have to field calls regarding forgotten passwords. That's no small advantage: According to industry estimates, up to 30% of support calls are about lost passwords, and manual password resets cost between $15 and $30 per call.
Further, by giving users a smart card and a personal identification number (PIN), organizations can achieve two-factor authentication, which provides security by granting network access only to people who can prove they're authorized by showing something they have (the smart card) and something they know (their PIN).
So instead of fielding hundreds of lost password calls, they now have to field hundreds of lost PIN calls? How does this help? |
