A smart card is a small plastic card containing a computer chip. People use smart cards along with personal identification numbers (PINs) to log on to a network, a computer, or a device. Using a smart card is more secure than using a password because it's more difficult for someone to steal a smart card and learn your PIN than to learn your password.Smart cards are generally issued by information technology (IT) departments in large organizations. To use a smart card, you also need a smart card reader—a device that’s installed in or connected to your computer and that can read the information stored on a smart card.
