Haven't tried, its basically a secure transaction card you can use on
sites that support it such as your bank or an online merchant such as
Amazon.
From the Windows Help and Support documentation:
Microsoft Windows CardSpaceT is a system for creating relationships with
websites and online services. Windows CardSpace provides a consistent way
for:
Sites to request information from you.
You to review the identity of a site.
You to manage your information by using Information Cards.
You to review card information before you send it.
Windows CardSpace can replace the user names and passwords that you use to
register with and log on to websites and online services.
Windows CardSpace step by step
You can use the following Windows CardSpace steps to send your identity
information across the Internet or other networks:
Review site identity information. Before you send a card to a site for the
first time, you review information about that site's identity in its
certificate so that you can learn more about the site that is requesting
your information. You can review the following certificate information for
a site:
Name-The name of the business or organization
Location-The geographic location of the business or organization
Website-The domain name of the site
Logo-The logo of the business or organization
In addition, sites can provide a privacy statement that tells you how your
information will be used. The privacy statement should state whether
information will be shared outside the requesting organization or
business. After you send a card to the site, you will not be asked to
review the site information again unless:
The site states that it has changed its privacy statement.
The identity information of the site changes.
Choose a card. If you decide to send a card to a site, you view your card
collection and choose a card to send. Cards that meet the requirements of
the site are highlighted. Different sites require different kinds of
cards. There are two types of cards:
Personal cards are cards that you create yourself that can identify you to
websites or online services. You can use personal cards instead of filling
out forms or logging on to sites.
Managed cards are provided by businesses and organizations. Examples of
managed cards include credit cards and membership cards. Managed cards
usually represent information that is issued by the card provider.
Review card data. Before you send a card to a site, you review what data
is being requested. Sites can also request optional data that you can
include when you send a card. You can also review the sites to which you
have sent a card in the past.
Send your card. Finally, you send your card to the site. Card data is
always encrypted before it is sent to the site.
Windows CardSpace and your privacy
Windows CardSpace helps put you in control of your personal information.
You decide when and with whom you share this information. Windows
CardSpace supports two types of cards:
Personal cards are cards that you create yourself. The personal
information that you enter on a card is stored on your computer. To help
keep it safe, the information is encrypted. The stored information
includes personal information such as your name, addresses, phone numbers,
date of birth, and gender. Additional card information includes
information such as the card name, card picture, and card creation date
and a history of the sites where this card was used.
Managed cards are created by a managed card provider on your behalf. The
personal information that a managed card represents is maintained by the
managed card provider that issues the card. That managed card provider
stores the information at its site. Some managed card information is
stored on your computer. This information includes the card name, the date
that the card was installed, a "valid-through" date, and a history of the
sites where this card was used.
When you visit a website that accepts an Information Card, that site
indicates what type of card it is willing to accept. The Windows CardSpace
user experience shows you which cards in your collection meet the
requirements of the site. Before you submit a card to a site, you can
inspect it to see what personal information will be sent. You should also
review the privacy statement of the site to understand how it uses your
personal information.
Frequently asked questions
1. What are Information Cards?
2. How do I get Information Cards?
3. What does the site identity information tell me?
4. What should I review about the site information?
5. Do I need a different card for every site?
6. Can I add additional data fields to a personal card?
7. Which card should I send?
8. Why can't I send this card?
9. Why should I lock my cards with a PIN?
10. Can I only use numbers in my PIN?
11. What information is on my card?
12. How do I get a managed card?
13. What are the Windows CardSpace minimum requirements for a bank or
major Internet business?
14. We both use the same computer; how do we separate our cards?
15. How do I back up my cards or transfer them to another computer?
16. How do I switch between input languages?
17. Are accessibility applications available in Windows CardSpace?
18. What if I forget my PIN or password?
19. Why does Windows CardSpace repeatedly open when I close it?
20. What happens when a managed card expires?
21. Can deleted cards be restored?
22. Why should I back up my cards?
23. Does Microsoft see my data?
24. What information is stored about the sites that I visit?
25. Why does Windows CardSpace remember the sites that I visit?
1. What are Information Cards?
An Information Card is a set of data about you that you can send to a
website or online service. Like the cards in your wallet, cards that you
send with Windows CardSpace present information about you. You can send
these cards to sites to show who you are. After a site knows who you are,
you can request specific services, make purchases, or access information
from the site.
2. How do I get Information Cards?
You can get Information Cards in two ways, based on the type of card that
you want. The two types of cards are:
Personal cards: You can create a personal card by clicking Add a card and
then clicking Create a personal card. You can then enter data much as you
would on a website form. The difference is that this data will be
encrypted and stored on the card to be sent to websites and online
services with a few fast clicks. To create a personal card, click Add a
card when you view your card collection.
Managed cards: Installing a managed card requires a managed card file that
is issued by a managed card provider. Managed card providers are usually
businesses (credit card companies, for example) or organizations that host
websites or offer services that you can use online. If you do not have a
managed card file and you want to install a managed card, exit Windows
CardSpace and contact the managed card provider. To install a managed card
file, do one of the following:
Locate the managed card file in Windows Explorer, and then double-click
the file icon.
View your cards in Windows CardSpace, click Add a card, and then click
Install a managed card.
3. What does the site identity information tell me?
The site identity information shows what information about the site has
been verified by a third party called a certification authority (CA). A CA
is an organization that certifies and verifies identity information. The
more information that the CA can verify, the more confident you can be
that the site is genuine. Verifiable information can include the
following:
Name: The published name of the site, for example, Contoso, Ltd.
Location: The geographical location of the business or organization, for
example, Redmond, Washington)
Site: The domain name of the site, for example,
www.contoso.com
Logo: The logo of the site
4. What should I review about the site information?
If you are considering sending a card to this site, make sure that the
site's information seems appropriate to the site. The more information
that matches your expectations for the site, the more confident you can be
that the site is what it claims to be. The domain name of a business or
organization often includes or resembles the name of the business or
organization. If the name, location, and logo of a site are available,
they should be appropriate to the site.
5. Do I need a different card for every site?
No. In the same way that you can use a credit card at many stores, you can
use one card at many sites. Some cards-particularly certain managed
cards-can be used only at a specific site. Each site sets its own
requirements.
6. Can I add additional data fields to a personal card?
No. Personal cards can include only the listed data fields. Managed cards
include only the data that is published by the managed card provider.
7. Which card should I send?
Only the cards that are highlighted in your Windows CardSpace card
collection meet the requirements of the requesting site. Send a card that
meets the requirements of the site and that includes the data that you
want to send to this site. Like the cards in your wallet, different cards
meet different needs. Some sites require a card that you provide yourself.
This type of card is called a personal card. Personal cards provide basic
identity information such as your name, e-mail address, and phone number.
Other sites require a card from a business or organization, for example, a
credit card or membership card. This type of card is called a managed
card, and it is issued by a business or organization.
8. Why can't I send this card?
You can send a card only if it meets all the requirements of a site.
Conditions that might prevent a card from being sent include the
following:
Wrong type: A site may require that either a managed card or a personal
card must be used to provide data.
Wrong issuer: A site may require that a managed card must be issued by a
specific issuer.
Missing personal card data: All required personal card data must be
included on the card. You can add missing data to a personal card.
Missing managed card data: A managed card might meet all the other
requirements of a site but not offer the data that is required by the
site.
9. Why should I lock my cards with a PIN?
If you do not protect your cards with a PIN, anyone with access to your
Windows user account can use your cards. You should use a PIN to lock a
card if you:
Share this Windows user account but you want to limit who uses this card.
Have cards that contain sensitive information or are used for sensitive
tasks (for example, for online banking).
10. Can I only use numbers in my PIN?
No. A PIN can include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters,
numbers, symbols, and spaces.
11. What information is on my card?
Information Cards can contain the following information:
Card data is the data that can be sent to a requesting site. Card data is
the only information that is ever sent to a requesting site.
Card name is the name that is shown with the card.
Card picture is the picture that is shown with the card.
Card type indicates whether the card is a personal card or a managed card.
Card history shows a list of sites to which you have sent this card. The
most recent date on which you sent the card is also shown.
Card ID is a unique card identifier.
Created on shows the date when the card was created. Only personal cards
have this information.
Issued by shows the name of the managed card provider. Only managed cards
have this information.
Issued on shows the date when a card was issued by a managed card
provider. Only managed cards have this information.
Valid through shows the date after which the card is not valid. Only
managed cards have this information.
To see information for a card, select the card, and then click Preview.
12. How do I get a managed card?
Installing a managed card requires a managed card file that is issued by a
managed card provider. If you do not have a managed card file and you want
to install a managed card, exit Windows CardSpace and contact the managed
card provider.
To install a managed card file, do one of the following:
Locate the managed card file in Windows Explorer, and then double-click
the file icon.
Click Install a managed card in Windows CardSpace.
Before your managed card is installed, you will be asked to review
information about the card provider so that you can be sure that you want
to install a card from that provider. After you install the managed card,
it will appear in your card collection and you can send it to sites.
13. What are the Windows CardSpace minimum requirements for a bank or
major Internet business?
Sites that attain a high-assurance (HA) certificate meet the minimum
Windows CardSpace requirements for a bank or major Internet business. As
part of a Windows CardSpace card request, the site requesting your card
can present a certificate verifying its identity. To combat identity
theft, banks and major Internet businesses can sign their site with an HA
certificate. A site with an HA certificate can have some or all of the
following verified by a certification authority (CA):
Name
Location
Logo
14. We both use the same computer. How do we separate our cards?
The best way to keep your cards separate is to create a unique Windows
user account for each computer user. For more information about adding
user accounts, see Help and Support. If multiple users want to separate
their cards in a single Windows logon, they can change the names of the
cards to distinguish between them.
To change the name of a card
View all your cards.
Select the card that you want to change.
Click Preview.
Click Edit.
Change the card name underneath the picture of the card.
15. How do I back up my cards or transfer them to another computer?
Cards are stored on your computer in an encrypted format. To save a backup
file containing some or all of your cards or to use a card on a different
computer, you can save cards to a backup card file.
To back up your cards
Start Windows CardSpace.
View all your cards.
In the pane on the right of your screen, click Back up cards.
Select the cards that you want to back up.
Browse to the folder where you want to save the backup card file, and then
give it a name.
When you complete these steps, you save a file containing some or all of
your cards. You can copy the backup card file to media such as a Universal
Serial Bus (USB) storage device, CD, or other digital media. You can
restore the backup card file on this computer or on another computer.
To restore your cards
Save the backup card file to the computer.
Browse to the location of the file on the computer.
Double-click the file, and then follow the instructions to restore the
cards.
16. How do I switch between input languages?
You can switch between input languages in Windows CardSpace by using the
standard Windows key sequence LEFT ALT + SHIFT. This combination switches
between the input languages that are installed in Windows CardSpace. To
install additional languages, see the language settings in Control Panel.
17. Are accessibility applications available in Windows CardSpace?
Yes. To enable accessibility applications for Windows CardSpace, view all
your cards, and then click Preferences. For more information, click How do
accessibility applications affect security?
18. What if I forget my PIN or password?
If you cannot unlock a card because you forgot your PIN or your password,
you may have to delete the card and then create or install a new one. This
may cause sites to which you sent the card in the past to not recognize
you. If you cannot unlock a managed card because you forgot your PIN or
your password and the file is not available, contact the managed card
provider for a replacement card. If you forget the password that protects
your backup card file, you cannot restore the cards that it contains.
19. Why does Windows CardSpace open repeatedly when I close it?
If Windows CardSpace opens every time that you close it, you may be
trapped by a broken or malicious site. The site is causing Windows
CardSpace to open every time that you close it. To exit Windows CardSpace,
click Exit Windows CardSpace without returning to the site. Clicking this
link will take you to your browser without returning to the site that is
opening Windows CardSpace.
20. What happens when a managed card expires?
Some managed cards are issued with expiration dates. If you send a managed
card after its expiration date, either the requesting site or the managed
card provider may decline the card. For more information about an expired
managed card and how to renew it, contact the managed card provider.
21. Can deleted cards be restored?
When cards are deleted, they are permanently removed from Windows
CardSpace. All card data and card history are erased. The only way to
restore deleted cards is to obtain a backup file of the cards that you
created before you deleted any cards.
22. Why should I back up my cards?
You should back up cards to:
Transfer your cards to another computer-You can use a backup card file to
transfer cards to another computer. After you restore the backup card
file, you will be able to send these cards from either computer. Sites
will be able to recognize you from either computer. If you store your
cards on a USB drive or other media, you can take your cards with you
wherever you go.
Recover them in case of accidental loss-You should back up to a file all
the cards that you would want to restore in case of data loss or hard
drive failure. Store the backup card file where it will not be lost in
case of data loss or if the computer is damaged or stolen.
23. Does Microsoft see my data?
No. Your card data is stored on your computer or maintained by a managed
card provider. Microsoft receives your card data only if you choose to
send a card with that data to a Microsoft website or online service.
24. What information is stored about the sites that I visit?
When you send a card, Windows CardSpace stores the following information
on your computer:
The information about the site to which you sent the card
The time and date when you sent the card
The type of data that was sent to the site-but not the data itself. "First
name" can be stored, for example, but not the first name "John."
If you decide not to send a card, no information is stored.
25. Why does Windows CardSpace remember the sites that I visit?
Each of your cards stores its own card site history and a record of the
card data that you send to each of the sites. This enables Windows Card
Space to alert you anytime that:
A new site requests a card.
The identity information or privacy statement of a site to which you sent
a card has changed.
A site to which you sent a card requests new data.
Card site history is encrypted when it is stored on your computer. You can
review it by viewing the site history in Windows CardSpace. Your card
history information stays on your computer. It is not sent to a site
requesting a card or to Microsoft.
