June 01, 2005, 8:08 AM — There are several reasons I'm not a big Apple fan (high prices, blogger lawsuits etc.) but let's blame them for the right things. Some PC fans say the Mac isn't ready for corporate use because there's no secure authentication option. You can still complain about your first generation iPod battery, but you can't complain about this anymore.
CryptoCard (.com) makes a variety of secure authentication and ID management tools, and they just released support for OS X Tiger (they already did Panther). For the rest of you PC alternative fans, Linux support includes Red Hat, SuSE, and an easy compile option for Debian.
Clients with CryptoCard use either a software token, a PIN pad, or a Smart Card to generate one-use keys for two-factor system authentication. CryptoCard released their Macintosh software token product two years ago, and won MacWorld Best In Show in 2004. Many large companies integrate CryptoCard authentication into their access cards, which makes sure employees heading to the snack room must close out their computer session and take their authentication card with them (at least if they want to get through any doors).
The Crypto-Server authentication box can run on Windows, Apple, or Linux servers. You don't need a dedicated box for this, because CryptoCard offers entry level packs with minimal impact on an existing server. The five-user Happy Meals (their internal term which I really like) include server software and five client tokens (your choice of any of their token products) for $499.
While not a Mac fan myself, I do find it aggravating when companies mash a PC product onto the Mac with little grace or user interface attention. If you're going to play in that market, then do it right. CryptoCard rewrote their software from the ground up for Tiger, and have even updated the firmware in their card readers to work with Macs.
Go to CryptoCard.com and download their Mac white paper. If you like that, download their test software and try it yourself. After you do, you won't be able to complain about Apple's lack of secure authentication. Restrictive iTunes DRM (Digital Rights Management) yes, but not authentication.
