Smart Card Technology

History 1968

German inventor Jurgen Dethloff along with Helmet Grotrupp filed a patent for using plastic as a carrier for microchips.

1970Dr. Kunitaka Arimura of Japan filed the first and only patent on the smart card concept

1974Roland Moreno of France files the original patent for the IC card, later dubbed the “smart card.”

1977Three commercial manufacturers, Bull CP8, SGS Thomson, and Schlumberger began developing the IC card product.

History 1979

Motorola developed first single chip Microcontroller for French Banking

1982World's first major IC card testing

1992Nationwide prepaid card project started in Denmark

1999 Federal Government began a Federal employee smart card identification

What is a Smart Card?The standard definition of a a smart card, or

integrated circuit card (ICC), is any pocket sized card with embedded integrated circuits.

Loosely defined, a smart card is any card with a capability to relate information to a particular application such as: Magnetic Stripe Cards Optical Cards Memory Cards Microprocessor Cards

Magnetic Stripe Cards

Standard technology for bank cards, driver’s licenses, library cards, and so on……

Optical CardsUses a laser to read

and write the card

CANPASS Contains: Photo ID Fingerprint

Memory Cards

Can store:Financial InfoPersonal InfoSpecialized Info

Cannot process Info

Microprocessor CardsHas an integrated

circuit chipHas the ability to:

Store informationCarry out local

processingPerform Complex

Calculations

Microprocessor CardsCombi / Hybrid Cards

Hybrid CardHas two chips: contact and contactless

interface. The two chips are not connected.

Combi CardHas a single chip with a contact and

contactless interface. Can access the same chip via a contact or

contactless interface, with a very high level of security.

Microprocessor CardsCombi / Hybrid Cards

How are Smart Cards Used? Commercial Applications

Banking/payment Identification Ticketing Parking and toll collection Universities use smart cards for ID purposes

and at the library, vending machines, copy machines, and other services on campus.

Mobile Telecommunications SIM cards used on cell phones Over 300,000,000 GSM phones with smart

cards Contains mobile phone security, subscription

information, phone number on the network, billing information, and frequently called numbers.

How are Smart Cards Used? Information Technology

Secure logon and authentication of users to PCs and networks Encryption of sensitive data

Other Applications Over 4 million small dish TV satellite receivers in the US use a

smart card as its removable security element and subscription information.

Pre-paid, reloadable telephone cards Health Care, stores the history of a patient Fast ticketing in public transport, parking, and road tolling in

many countries

AdvantagesIn comparison to it’s predecessor, the magnetic strip card,

smartcards have many advantages including:

Life of a smart card is longer A single smart card can house multiple applications. Just one

card can be used as your license, passport, credit card, ATM card, ID Card, etc.

Smart cards cannot be easily replicated and are, as a general rule much more secure than magnetic stripe cards

Data on a smart card can be protected against unauthorized viewing. As a result of this confidential data, PINs and passwords can be stored on a smart card. This means, merchants do not have to go online every time to authenticate a transaction.

Advantages• chip is tamper-resistant

- information stored on the card can be PIN code and/or read-write protected- capable of performing encryption- each smart card has its own, unique serial number

• capable of processing, not just storing information- Smart cards can communicate with computing devices through a smart card reader- information and applications on a card can be updated without having to issue new cards

• A smart card carries more information than can be accommodated on a magnetic stripe card. It can make a decision, as it has relatively powerful processing capabilities that allow it to do more than a magnetic stripe card (e.g., data encryption).

Disadvantages NOT tamper proof Can be lost/stolenLack of user mobility – only possible if user has smart

card reader every he goesHas to use the same reader technologyCan be expensiveWorking from PC – software based token will be betterNo benefits to using a token on multiple PCs to using a

smart cardStill working on bugs

Thanks