Authentication through a user certificate can be more secure than using a user name and password because it enables two-factor authentication. For example, you can configure smart card authentication for Rational ClearQuest Web such that the user must use a smart card and PIN to gain access to Rational ClearQuest Web. As another example, you can store a user certificate on a smart card that requires fingerprint biometric tests to access the certificate.
This section presents a high-level architecture view of the smart card authentication feature in Rational ClearQuest Web and describes the associated server configuration tasks.