Windows CardSpace for IT pros

An Information Card is a set of data about you that you can send to a website or online service. Like the cards in your wallet, cards that you send with Windows CardSpace present information about you. You can send these cards to sites to show who you are. After a site knows who you are, you can request specific services, make purchases, or access information from the site.

You can get Information Cards in two ways, based on the type of card that you want. The two types of cards are:

• Personal cards: You can create a personal card by clicking Add a card and then clicking Create a personal card. You can then enter data much as you would on a website form. The difference is that this data will be encrypted and stored on the card to be sent to websites and online services with a few fast clicks. To create a personal card, click Add a card when you view your card collection.

• Managed cards: Installing a managed card requires a managed card file that is issued by a managed card provider. Managed card providers are usually businesses (credit card companies, for example) or organizations that host websites or offer services that you can use online. If you do not have a managed card file and you want to install a managed card, exit Windows CardSpace and contact the managed card provider. To install a managed card file, do one of the following:

  • Locate the managed card file in Windows Explorer, and then double-click the file icon.

  • View your cards in Windows CardSpace, click Add a card, and then click Install a managed card.

The site identity information shows what information about the site has been verified by a third party called a certification authority (CA). A CA is an organization that certifies and verifies identity information. The more information that the CA can verify, the more confident you can be that the site is genuine. Verifiable information can include the following:

• Name: The published name of the site, for example, Contoso, Ltd.

• Location: The geographical location of the business or organization, for example, Redmond, Washington.

• Site: The domain name of the site, for example, www.contoso.com.

• Logo: The logo of the site.

If you are considering sending a card to this site, make sure that the site's information seems appropriate to the site. The more information that matches your expectations for the site, the more confident you can be that the site is what it claims to be. The domain name of a business or organization often includes or resembles the name of the business or organization. If the name, location, and logo of a site are available, they should be appropriate to the site.

No. In the same way that you can use a credit card at many stores, you can use one card at many sites. Some cards—particularly certain managed cards—can be used only at a specific site. Each site sets its own requirements.

No. Personal cards can include only the listed data fields. Managed cards include only the data that is published by the managed card provider.

Only the cards that are highlighted in your Windows CardSpace card collection meet the requirements of the requesting site. Send a card that meets the requirements of the site and that includes the data that you want to send to this site. Like the cards in your wallet, different cards meet different needs. Some sites require a card that you provide yourself. This type of card is called a personal card. Personal cards provide basic identity information such as your name, e-mail address, and phone number. Other sites require a card from a business or organization, for example, a credit card or membership card. This type of card is called a managed card, and it is issued by a business or organization.

You can send a card only if it meets all the requirements of a site. Conditions that might prevent a card from being sent include the following:

• Wrong type: A site may require that either a managed card or a personal card must be used to provide data.

• Wrong issuer: A site may require that a managed card must be issued by a specific issuer.

• Missing personal card data: All required personal card data must be included on the card. You can add missing data to a personal card.

• Missing managed card data: A managed card might meet all the other requirements of a site, but not offer the data that is required by the site.

If you do not protect your cards with a PIN, anyone with access to your Windows user account can use your cards. You should use a PIN to lock a card if you:

• Share your Windows user account, but you want to limit who uses your card.

• Have cards that contain sensitive information or are used for sensitive tasks (for example, for online banking).

No. A PIN can include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, symbols, and spaces.

Information Cards can contain the following information:

• Card data is the data that can be sent to a requesting site. Card data is the only information that is ever sent to a requesting site.

• Card name is the name that is shown with the card.

• Card picture is the picture that is shown with the card.

• Card type indicates whether the card is a personal card or a managed card.

• Card history shows a list of sites to which you have sent this card. The most recent date on which you sent the card is also shown.

• Card ID is a unique card identifier.

• Created on shows the date when the card was created. Only personal cards have this information.

• Issued by shows the name of the managed card provider. Only managed cards have this information.

• Issued on shows the date when a card was issued by a managed card provider. Only managed cards have this information.

• Valid through shows the date after which the card is not valid. Only managed cards have this information.

To see information for a card, select the card, and then click Preview.

Installing a managed card requires a managed card file that is issued by a managed card provider. If you do not have a managed card file and you want to install a managed card, exit Windows CardSpace and contact the managed card provider. To install a managed card file, do one of the following:

• Locate the managed card file in Windows Explorer, and then double-click the file icon.

• View your cards in Windows CardSpace, click Add a card, and then click Install a managed card.

Before your managed card is installed, you will be asked to review information about the card provider so that you can be sure that you want to install a card from that provider. After you install the managed card, it will appear in your card collection and you can send it to sites.

Sites that attain a high-assurance (HA) certificate meet the minimum Windows CardSpace requirements for a bank or major Internet business. As part of a Windows CardSpace card request, the site requesting your card can present a certificate verifying its identity. To combat identity theft, banks and major Internet businesses can sign their site with an HA certificate. A site with an HA certificate can have some or all of the following verified by a certification authority (CA):

• Name

• Location

• Logo

The best way to keep your cards separate is to create a unique Windows user account for each computer user. For more information about adding user accounts, see Help and Support. If multiple users want to separate their cards in a single Windows logon, they can change the names of the cards to distinguish between them.

Cards are stored on your computer in an encrypted format. To save a backup file containing some or all of your cards or to use a card on a different computer, you can save cards to a backup card file.

When you complete these steps, you save a file containing some or all of your cards. You can copy the backup card file to media such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) storage device, CD, or other digital media. You can restore the backup card file on this computer or on another computer.

You can switch between input languages in Windows CardSpace by using the standard Windows key sequence LEFT ALT + SHIFT. This combination switches between the input languages that are installed in Windows CardSpace. To install additional languages, see the language settings in Control Panel.

Yes. To enable accessibility applications for Windows CardSpace, view all your cards, and then click Preferences. For more information, click How do accessibility applications affect security?

If you cannot unlock a card because you forgot your PIN or your password, you may have to delete the card and then create or install a new one. This may cause sites to which you sent the card in the past to not recognize you. If you cannot unlock a managed card because you forgot your PIN or your password and the file is not available, contact the managed card provider for a replacement card. If you forget the password that protects your backup card file, you cannot restore the cards that it contains.

If Windows CardSpace opens every time that you close it, you may be trapped by a broken or malicious site. The site is causing Windows CardSpace to open every time that you close it. To exit Windows CardSpace, click Exit Windows CardSpace without returning to the site. Clicking this link will take you to your browser without returning to the site that is opening Windows CardSpace.

Some managed cards are issued with expiration dates. If you send a managed card after its expiration date, either the requesting site or the managed card provider may decline the card. For more information about an expired managed card and how to renew it, contact the managed card provider.

When cards are deleted, they are permanently removed from Windows CardSpace. All card data and card history are erased. The only way to restore deleted cards is to obtain a backup file of the cards that you created before you deleted any cards.

You should back up cards to:

• Transfer your cards to another computer—You can use a backup card file to transfer cards to another computer. After you restore the backup card file, you will be able to send these cards from either computer. Sites will be able to recognize you from either computer. If you store your cards on a USB drive or other media, you can take your cards with you wherever you go.

• Recover them in case of accidental loss—You should back up to a file all the cards that you would want to restore in case of data loss or hard drive failure. Store the backup card file where it will not be lost in case of data loss or if the computer is damaged or stolen.

No. Your card data is stored on your computer or maintained by a managed card provider. Microsoft receives your card data only if you choose to send a card with that data to a Microsoft website or online service.

When you send a card, Windows CardSpace stores the following information on your computer:

• The information about the site to which you sent the card

• The time and date when you sent the card

• The type of data that was sent to the site—but not the data itself. “First name” can be stored, for example, but not the first name “John.”

If you decide not to send a card, no information is stored.