Can anyone tell me what the purpose of having a SmartCard reader is for? This appears to be separate from the SIM card used for the cell modem.
It’s similar to what the Librem key / TPM can do.
You can store encryption keys on it that can not be read out again. So, encrypting a message would happen on that card.
They also want to use it for tamper evident boot, similar to Pureboot on the laptops.
11 Likes
Sweet. Thanks for the info.
is that sold separately ? As its just a reader ?
Yes, I think the card is not included. There’s also nothing implemented to use it conveniently. It’s am upgrade path for those who want it.
Would it be also possible to use the smartcard for two-factor authentification (FIDO U2F)?
Maybe use U2F directly on the phone or plugging the phone to the PC and us the phone like a Yubikey?
I don’t really understand this smartcard topic but I have seen that the Librem Key doesn’t support U2F but will it be possible with the SmartCard?
The smartcard reader is designed to use an OpenPGP card and FIDO U2F is not supported by the OpenPGP card specification, but authentication can be done.
See:
1 Like
Thanks!
Yes this article came out after my question and it was REALLY helpful 
But thanks for clarification 
Hello, I up this thread because I don’t want to open a new one just for the same topic.
I have read this news from purism’s blog about the smartcard reader, it seems very interesting but I still try to find a way to use it.
For instance, I use a password manager such as Keepass or Bitwarden. The database file is encrypted and synced in the cloud (Dropbox like).
- Is there any advantage to combine such app with the Smartcard (2FA, etc.) ?
- What other use can I do with this Smartcard ?
Thank you !