OpenSC
OpenSC provides a set of libraries and utilities to work with smart cards. Mainly on cards that support cryptographic operations, and facilitate their use in security applications such as authentication, mail encryption and digital signatures.
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Features
Tags
- smartcard
- pkcs15
- piv
- pkcs11
OpenSC News & Activities
Recent activities
OpenSC information
Developed by
OpenSC teamLicensing
Open Source and Free product.Alternatives
4 alternatives listedSupported Languages
- English
Featured in Lists
All tools that could be of some use for day to day work
What is OpenSC?
OpenSC provides a set of libraries and utilities to work with smart cards. Its main focus is on cards that support cryptographic operations, and facilitate their use in security applications such as authentication, mail encryption and digital signatures. OpenSC implements the PKCS#11 API so applications supporting this API (such as Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird) can use it. On the card OpenSC implements the PKCS#15 standard and aims to be compatible with every software/card that does so, too.
Comments and Reviews
Mandatory application for Nitrokey PKI USB tokens
I use OpenSC for accessing the websites of Italian Public Administration. These websites require the authentication by CNS (the Italian National Service Card, also known as National Health Card). The CNS card is based on ISO/IEC 7816. On my computer, which runs Win 7 SP1 64 bit, I installed the 64 bit OpenSC. Then, in the web browser settings, I indicated the following library as a authentication device: opensc-pkcs11.dll (it is included in the installation folder of OpenSC). This library correctly works: each time I enter in a Public Administration website, the browser detects my CNS and shows a form, where I enter my PIN (the secret code). The authentication always succeeds.