Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Eric Holt

Stefan Thom

David Rudolph Wooten

Dan Sledz

Tony Ureche

Douglas M Maclver

Firmware of a system is configured to allow secondary devices, such as a smart card, to be used for authentication. In an example embodiment, the secondary device is a CCID smart card in compliance with the ISO 7816 specification. The smart card is inserted into a card reader coupled to the system prior to booting the system. The firmware comprises an emulator and driver configured to allow authentication information from the smart card to be utilized to allow execution of the boot process. In an example embodiment, the smart card comprises external keys for use with BITLOCKER&#x2122;. The secondary device is compatible with systems implementing a BIOS and with systems implementing EFI. Authentication also can be accomplished via devices that do not provide data storage, such as a biometric device or the like.

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Eric Holt