Fast smart card login

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
• establish a virtual channel between the apparatus and a client device, wherein the virtual channel is at a higher communication level than a personal computer/smart card (PC/SC) communication level;
• receive, from the client device, a message comprising answer to reset (ATR) data of a smart card associated with the client device;
• substitute the ATR data of the smart card with proxy ATR data of a proxy smart card;
• determine, based on the proxy ATR data, a cryptographic service provider for the proxy smart card;
• and
• transmit, via the cryptographic service provider, via the virtual channel, and to the client device, one or more requests for a cryptographic operation involving the smart card.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• establish a virtual channel between a server and a client device, wherein the virtual channel is at a higher communication level than a personal computer/smart card (PC/SC) communication level;
• receive, from the client device, a message comprising answer to reset (ATR) data of a smart card associated with the client device;
• substitute the ATR data of the smart card with proxy ATR data of a proxy smart card;
• determine, based on the proxy ATR data, a cryptographic service provider for the proxy smart card;
• and
• transmit, via the cryptographic service provider, via the virtual channel, and to the client device, one or more requests for a cryptographic operation involving the smart card.