A processing device of a server executing an application establishes a network connection to a client device having a smart card, detects a program call associated with an authentication of a user of the client device for accessing the application, and determines, based on the program call, whether the smart card is a remote smart card for the server. Responsive to determining that the smart card is the remote smart card, the processing device redirects the program call to the client device via a communication channel of the network connection and authenticates, by the server, the user of the client device in view of data returned by the program call, as if the remote smart card were local to the server.