The Benefits of Smart Cards
Smart cards carry a wealth of information and perform multiple tasks simultaneously. They can be an identification card, a credit card, a token for logging on to computers, and more.
Interest in smart cards sparked in Europe in the late 1980s. Despite this, they have not yet made a significant impact on the American commercial mainstream.
Security
Unlike traditional magnetic stripe cards, smart card technology has microprocessors that allow for a higher level of security. This is because they can process data directly without remote connections, which makes them safer from electronic interference and magnetic fields. Additionally, smart cards can have built-in cryptographic capabilities that provide powerful authentication security and identity validation. This can be used to protect a range of information and physical assets, including personal accounts, doors at an apartment complex or Wi-Fi access on a work computer.
Another way that smart cards can help ensure privacy is by offering secure communications capabilities. This means that data sent to and from the smart card can be encrypted to prevent eavesdropping, and even digital signatures can be added to ensure the integrity of any information transmitted.
The technology also offers a secure storage capability. This allows for any data that is stored on the device to be accessed by only those with the proper credentials. This can reduce the amount of information that needs to be shared with other parties, which can improve overall security.
Embedded smart cards are useful in the healthcare sector as well, helping to keep medical records and equipment accessible only by authorized personnel. This can increase efficiency and reduce paperwork and maintenance costs by removing the need to update paper forms or transfer data between systems.
Mobility
Smart cards provide secure and reliable mobile communication. They mifare desfire ev1 can be used to deliver digital information and entertainment services, store personal accounts like credit balances, and record shopping preferences and trends. They are also used to protect services and equipment, such as in sensitive laboratories or public transportation terminals.
The technology behind a smart card enables tamper-proof storage and computational power for implementing security software. It is designed to ensure that only the authorized cardholder can access the data, using mutual authentication and public-key encryption software. These systems can verify the identity of a user in real time, or if needed, even without a secure connection to the central system. They can also be used to secure online transactions and to allow network users to log into a computer with a password derived from the smart card’s cryptographic data.
Unlike magnetic stripe cards, which are swiped or inserted into a reader, contactless smart cards can be read by close proximity to the device. This is because they are based on radio-frequency identification (RFID) and contain an integrated chip. The chip uses a radio frequency transmitter to communicate with the reader, which can be a smart phone, NFC-enabled card or other RFID reader.
There are several types of smart cards, each with different features. Some have a memory chip that provides a single function, such as prepaid phone cards or key fobs. Others include a microprocessor that enables increased functionality. These smart cards are known as multi-application cards and can reduce the number of items in a wallet, saving space. Smart card technology is supported by standards that ensure interoperability between computers and smart cards. For example, the PC/SC specification establishes an interface to support interaction between smart cards and USB-compliant readers. This allows the devices to work with different operating systems.
Access control
Smart cards can provide secure and convenient access control for a number of purposes, including at the door to your apartment complex or Wi-Fi on your work computer. They can also be embedded with data to protect your health insurance information or other important documents from theft.
A key feature of smart card technology is that it provides secure communications between a card and a reader. This allows smart card the system to protect data from being intercepted by hackers and improve privacy for users.
Some smart cards have microprocessors and memory chips for more functionality, while others are simply integrated circuit memory cards. Those with the microprocessors can process information and interact with other devices in more dynamic ways. These include making one-time passwords and PIN/PUK, or digital certificates (the device stores multiple credentials or key pairs to satisfy “something you know” on your behalf).
Smart cards can also help to track and analyze security events, providing data analytics that are invaluable for improving processes and reducing security risks. These data analytics can be used to identify patterns of behavior or specific types of unauthorized access. They can also be used to alert you to any potential issues as soon as they occur, so that you can address them quickly. For example, you can set up your CSCD application software to record all access attempts to daily log files, or configure the system to play a sound whenever a card is inserted into any reader.
Identification
A smart card’s microprocessor can store data that allows a card reader to identify who is trying to access a resource, whether it be your bank account, the door to your apartment complex or the Wi-Fi on your work computer. The identification features in a smart card help deter fraud by making it impossible to change passwords or other information without the card owner’s permission.
The microprocessors in many smart cards use cryptographic algorithms to encrypt the data on the chip. The key is either loaded into the card at its personalization stage (as with DES cards) or generated on the card itself using RSA. Typically, the card uses a combination of these two algorithms to create a unique key for each transaction.
Smart cards can also hold a monetary value to cover small purchases at stores, cafeterias, transportation tickets and laundromats. They can also act as electronic wallets by storing cash to pay for goods and services that are too expensive to use credit cards for, such as groceries or taxi rides.
In some cases, smart cards need to be plugged into an accessory card reader to activate their functionality. These are known as contact-type smart cards. Others can be used with a contactless chip and connect to a reader via a wireless medium, such as radio. The PC/SC protocol, designed by the PC/SC Workgroup, ensures an interoperable dialogue between computers and smart cards.