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Tokens and Badges for User Authentication

Since most work environments require employees to wear some kind of identification badge, it is natural to expect that this badge might be useful for user authentication in a medical information system. When combined with either something the user knows or a biometric identification method, this can be an extremely effective method of user identification. Tokens can take a variety of forms, including cards of various sizes and other devices. Cards can also incorporate a variety of technologies, including pictures, magnetic strips containing secret or biometric information, or even a microprocessor and memory in a very small package. Because of the opportunities to use this processing power for other applications (particuarly data authentication), I will delay discussion of tokens until section 3.3.



Kevin S. McCurley
Sat Mar 11 16:00:15 MST 1995