Many people are familiar with PINs, which allow them to use an automated teller machine (ATM). From the system point of view, PINs are used primarily in financial networks to authenticate users — typically, a user is assigned a PIN, and enters the PIN at automated teller machines (ATMs) to gain access to his or her accounts. It is extremely important that the PIN be kept private, so that no one other than the account owner can use it. ICSF allows your applications to generate PINs, to verify supplied PINs, and to translate PINs from one format to another.