# SmartCard Authentication > :::important This feature only works if [Login to Console](robot-settings.md) is set to **True**. ::: :::important This feature only works if [Login to Console](robot-settings.md) is set to **True**. ::: SmartCard (Common Access Cards or Personal Identity Verification Cards) authentication is a secure way to authenticate unattended Robots, in addition to basic authentication credentials. A SmartCard has a unique PIN. Multiple users can be registered to a card, in which case all users have the same PIN. A user can also be registered to multiple cards, in which case multiple PINs are used for the same user. :::note UiPath® does not support simultaneous process execution on Robots registered with the same username but different authentication methods. ::: Both virtual and physical cards can be used for authentication, as long as they are part of a single Active Directory domain. The corresponding user must belong to the same domain. Virtual card authentication is only possible on Windows 8.1 and above. :::note The SmartCard needs to be inserted with every authentication. As long as the SmartCard is inserted, the associated Robot is available on the corresponding machine. ::: It is highly recommended to consult your company’s password policy before using the SmartCard authentication method. Credentials for a Robot that authenticates with a SmartCard may be stored in either the SQL Server or CyberArk. Find out more about storing Robot credentials in CyberArk [here](storing-credentials-in-cyberark.md). ## Enabling Smart Card Authentication To enable SmartCard authentication, select **Smart Card** when configuring the credential type at the user level. This option is only available if the [Features.SmartCardAuthentication.Enabled](https://docs.uipath.com/orchestrator/standalone/2021.10/installation-guide/uipath-orchestrator-dll-config#featuressmartcardauthenticationenabled) parameter is set to **True**.