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Smart Cards
A smart card looks just like a credit card, only with a computer chip inserted on it's surface. Most smart card chips are around the size of a 5 cent piece, and can be recognised by their usual gold or silver 'terminals' that look like mini printed circuit boards.
A smart card chip is really a mini computer including nonvolatile memory, storage, an operating system, and various communication systems. In one sense the new advanced smart card chips are as powerful as the early IBM PCs, except they don't accept a keyboard or display.
Smart cards have many different uses and can be used in these ways:
* ID cards that are able to identify the carrier using advanced authentication algorithms and can securely store confidentail infromation like private keys, private information and individual identifying data
* Transaction cards that are a more advanced version of the magnetic stripe commonly found on credit cards
* Electronic billfold cards that use various methods to store value and administer a kind of electronic cash
* Processor cards that carry out proprietary calculations in a black box manner
* Memory cards that can act as easily transported databases
Smart cards call for a terminal in order to function, usually called a smart card reader, or in some countries a card access device. Smart card readers can come in many froms and range from point of sale terminals such as EFTPOS terminals in Australia, through to the specialised readers attached to standard computer terminals.
Smart cards contain the capability to amass abundant pieces of information and diversified layers of data. For example, a single smart card could keep multiple bank account access details, loyalty programme memberships and government health card data. In Australia so far, smart cards tend to be limited to distinct purposes or to administer specific functionality.
Smart cards also supply much stronger levels of safety than prior magnetic striped type cards. Smart card chips have built-in security mechanisms that protect the data that is contained within the chip. This makes smart cards the first choice for governments and large organisations that are seeking highly secure and data rich card systems in order to provide services to the public and employees. Alongside much lower levels of identity fraud and the associated costs, smart cards save governments, businesses and organisations from surplus costs usually associated with data and identity fraud. It also means that service providers can administer more targeted services and minimise their customer and client relationship expenses.
Another emerging function of smart cards is in proving identity - PKI identification is a briskly growing area of smart card applications and is used by large numbers of organisations and governments around the world. Many countries now use this kind of kind of smart card for drivers licenses, where the drivers identity, driving history and outstanding fines can be held for example, along with medical information which can be useful after car accidents.
In Australia especially, smart cards are now frequently used for bank and credit cards, allowing owners to perform any kind of financial transaction at merchants and ATM's using the improved security provided by the smart card. These cards also appear with the traditional magnetic stripe so that they can be read by older readers. Over time, ATM and credit cards will exclusively use the smart card chip without the less secure magnetic stripe.
For their quantity of benefits and ability to effectively cut operating costs and provide enhanced security, smart cards are fast becoming the leading form of electronic and identity transmission media today.
About the Author
Jorgen Tallisford is from Cardpro, a leading card manufacturer who specialise in
smart card
and
loyalty card
applications and manufacture.
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