HID Crescendo of a smart card

A series of smart cards Crescendo of HID Global company is provided by C200, C700, C800, C1100 and C1150 models calculated for work within the converged corporate system including logical and physical access. Using these cards, it is possible to organize logical access to the computer, programs and network resources using readers of the HID OMNIKEY family which are connected directly to the PC and support the technology of public keys (PKI) applied in the contact chip of cards. For restriction of physical access the new Crescendo models use different combinations of RFID technologies, for example, HID iCLASS, MIFARE and Proximity and also support objects of SIO.

Acceptance of information from the contact chip of cards Crescendo is performed using the Omnikey family readers HID which are connected directly to the computer through USB or COM port, are compatible to basic operation systems and allow to limit logical access to limit logical access</a> not only to the PC and local networks, but also to global resources. Smart cards are delivered with previously set software which contains all necessary drivers for work under OS Windows, supports the different applications using logical access including Microsoft corporation and other companies. At this Crescendo do not require licensing of software for a separate workplace.

The organization of logical access control to computers and information resources according to cards of Crescendo is performed by a contact method using the Java Card smart chip which has the built-in cryptographic coprocessor with high processing speed and data transmissions. The maximum amount of memory of the chip is 80 KB (depending on card model), and contains the digital certificates PKI given for authentication of users on Single Sign-On (SSO) technologies, passwords for enciphering, etc. that does logical access to the PC which were more protected. It should be noted that the smart chip of cards supports more than 500,000 cycles of rewriting of identification data and it is expected work within 20 years.

The cryptographic functionality of smart cards of Crescendo is implemented on the platform of the program interface PKCS#11 which connects public keys of enciphering of PKI directly with the identity of the user through certification center, providing the protected logical access to computers and networks. Using PKCS#11, it is possible to limit access to workstations, the PC, notebooks, virtual private networks (VPN) and even to certain domains and electronic mailboxes. Besides, it is possible to organize logical access on smart cards of Crescendo and in the wireless networks (WLAN), oblachkny and web applications, and support of the digital signature allows to strengthen protection.

Smart cards of the Crescendo series can be personalized and used not only for logical access, but also as the admission or the identity certificate within the enterprise. Drawing the image on cards is performed by a thermosublimation method using special printers of plastic cards directly on its composite body (PVC/PET) or using special stickers. For creation of additional protection against falsification it is possible to apply the holograms, images seen only in ultra-violet light, the microtext, etc. to the Crescendo cards providing logical access.

Along with logical, in Crescendo functions of restriction of physical access based on contactless technologies of identification are implemented, such as HID iCLASS, iCLASS SE, MIFARE, MIFARE DESFire EV1, HID or Indala Proximity and also is supported by SIO (Secure Identity Object). Depending on model, innovation use different combinations of the listed RFID technologies therefore it is possible to select the smart cards suitable for work with the systems of physical access control which are already operating on an object. It should be noted that it will be much more convenient to provide physical and logical access according to one card for the user, and for the company — is cheaper.

The new combined smart cards of HID of the Crescendo series are already available to purchase at the retail price of 29 USD.