IBM has announced a smart card security system for notebook computers. The IBM Smart Card Security Kit consists of a smart card, a smart card reader which is installed into a notebook Type II PCMCIA slot and RSA cryptographic-based security software. Access is protected by a four digit pin number and files are transparently encrypted and decrypted automatically during use with an encryption code stored on the card’s chip. The system in compatible with Windows 95 and 98, Windows Internet Explorer and Netscape, and has digital signature capabilities. The kit has not yet gained approval in Europe and so is not expected to be released there until the first quarter of 1999. It has an estimated reseller price of $199.
