Many people choose passwords they can remember easily, which makes password-based logons weak and open to attack. If an unauthorized individual obtains your password, that individual can use your identity to connect to a network. However, to log on to a network by using your smart card, an unauthorized individual would have to obtain both the smart card and your personal identification number (PIN), which is far less likely.

Using a smart card to log on to a terminal server verifies your identity to the terminal server and allows you to access the programs you need to do your work. You can also make the smart card available to the terminal server for the duration of the session, in the same way that you can make your local disk drives available to the terminal server. However, the terminal server cannot access any private information stored on the smart card without your consent.

For information on making a smart card available to a terminal server. The option to enable smart card redirection is not displayed unless a smart card is present and the service is enabled.

To make a smart card available in a session

1. In the Remote Desktop Connection window, click Options.

2. On the Local Resources tab, Under Local devices, click Smart card.
    Note

   • The option to enable smart card redirection is not displayed unless a smart card is present and the service is enabled.
3. Click Connect.

• To open Remote Desktop Connection, click Start, point to Programs or All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.
• Depending on the policies of your network, smart card redirection might be disabled for some or all remote connections.
• You might see a Remote Desktop Connection Security Warning, which asks whether you want to connect your local disk drives, local ports, or smart card to the remote computer. To enable one or more of these connections, check the appropriate check boxes. If you choose not to enable these connections, a Remote Desktop Connection is still established, but these resources are not available to the remote computer.
• When you click Connect, the information you enter in Options becomes the default setting for all Remote Desktop connections and is saved in a file called Default.rdp.