Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for cryptographic authentication to control access to storage devices. An applet executing on a processor of a contactless card may receive, via a wireless communications interface of the contactless card, a request to access a storage device of the contactless card, where the storage device is in a locked state. The applet may generate a cryptogram based on the request and transmit the cryptogram to a computing device via the wireless communications interface. The applet may receive, from the computing device, an indication specifying that a server decrypted the cryptogram. The applet may transmit, to a controller of the storage device and based on the indication specifying that the server decrypted the cryptogram, an indication specifying to unlock the storage device. The controller may transition the storage device from the locked state to an unlocked state based on the indication received from the applet.