At one point, I talked to Security Dynamics, and experienced the same reaction as the original poster. Additionally, I found it ludicrous that the cards were programmed to self-destruct after a period of time, that they keep their encryption scheme so secret (though they'll sell you source code if you fork over sufficient bucks), and that there was no way to reprogram/reset the cards in the field. I also couldn't stomach their "well, you just have to trust us" response to a lot of my objections about it being a closed proprietary system, having them know all of my key data, and not being able to reprogram the cards. I had much better luck with Digital Pathways, and their "SecureNet Key" product. This is a small (about as long and wide as the SecurID card, but about 2.5 times as thick) hand-held authenticator that's meant to go with Digital Pathways' "Data Defender" secure communications front-end, though they sell the SecureNet Keys separately, and they're not very expensive. They use DES, are individually field-programmable, and Digital Pathways is only too happy to give you as much info about them as you want - for free. With the info they gave me, it was no problem towrite code that knows how to use the SecureNet Key. --Pat.