Authentication in a UNIX network environment using smart cards

The UNIX system has demonstrated adequate security for the login authentication mechanism when applied to individual computer systems. However the implementations of remote logins for a network of UNIX systems has been less satisfactory. Smart cards may be applied to improve the security for remote logins and the paper presents an extension to the mechanism developed that allows the card to be used for authentication and access control by application programs. The operation of the login authentication system is reviewed, then an analysis of the possible extensions and problems are discussed. A detailed description of an experimental implementation of a card based authentication system is presented together with suggestions for extension into the multi-domain environment which may exist within a network or internet