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What is smart card authentication?

When smart card authentication is enabled in addition to regular username/password authentication, users can log in to BlackBerry® AtHoc® by inserting their smart card into a card reader and then entering a PIN, or by selecting a valid certificate on the mobile app.
If you choose to require operators to log in using smart cards, the following changes occur in the administrative side of the
BlackBerry AtHoc
system:
  • In an enterprise organization, all suborganizations inherit the smart card-only authentication method.
  • In a super enterprise organization, all sub enterprise organizations and their suborganizations inherit smart card-only authentication method.
  • The log in screen continues to display
    Username
    and
    Password
    fields because until a user attempts to log in, the system does not know what organization the user belongs to and what restrictions, if any, the user's organization has imposed on authentication.
  • After the user attempts to log in with a username or password combination, the system returns an error message informing them that they must use their smart card for system authentication.