05-07-2012, 10:27 AM
Smart Card technology
Smart Card technology .doc (Size: 1.87 MB / Downloads: 96)
Introduction
Smart Card technology has been around for more than 20 years. Since its first introduction into the market, its main applications for the Payphone system. As card manufacturing cost decreases, smart card usage has expended. Its use in Asia is expended to be growing at a much faster than in Europe. According to a survey performed by Ovum Ltd.[Microsoft1998], the no of smart card units will reach 2.7 billion by 2003. The largest market will be in prepaid applications. Followed by access control, and electronic cash applications.
Using this powerful and highly secure card on PC and Inter is still not so common. Many international companies have identified the smart card as one of the new directions in electronic money and personal identification and authentication tools.
In May 1996,several companies including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packet and Schlumberger formed a PC/SC workgroup, which aimed at integrating the smart card with PC. Programming modules for smart cards using Visual J++, Visual C++ and Visual Basic have been developed.
The smart card is expected to be used in many applications especially in personal security related application such as access control, computer logon, secure email sending and retrieving services. The already implemented applications are prepayment for services, credit and debit card, loyalty card and access control card. The most commonly known example is the prepayment services cards namely prepaid phone cards, transportation cards and parking cards. Based on the e-purse cards people can perform bank transaction from ATM machines at home or in bank. With the use of Loyalty cards, companies could store discount information and shopping preferences of their customers. Using these shopping preferences, companies could design new strategies for the users. An access control system to building, computers or other secure areas is being handled by a single smart card. Smart card’s portability and security is main reason for its growth. Also since people are looking for smaller and devices for carrying their data, smart card provides the best solution.
What is Smart Card?
A Smart card is a plastic card with microprocessor chip embedded in it. The card looks like a normal credit card except for its metal contact. Other than normal credit and bankcard functions, it could act as an e-wallet, as a secure access control token ranging from door access control to computer authentication.
The smart card is defined as a ‘credit card” with a “brain” on it the brain being a small embedded computer chip. Some cards may have a microprocessor embedded, while others may only have a non-volatile memory. The storage capacity of a smart card ranges from 1K bytes to 64K bytes.
The stored data can be protected against unauthorized access and tampering. Inside a card access to the memory content is controlled by a secure logic circuit with the chip. As access to data can only be performed via a serial interface supervised by the operating system and the secure logic system, confidential data written on the card is prevented from unauthorized external access. The microprocessor chip can only process this secret data internally
Due to the high security level of smart cards and its offline nature, it is extremely difficult to ‘hack’ the value of smart card, or otherwise put unauthorized information on the card. Because it is hard to get the data without authorization, and because it fits in one’s pocket, a smart card is uniquely appropriate for secure and convenient data storage. Without permission of the cardholder, data cannot be captured or modified. Therefore smart card could further enhance the data privacy of the user.
Today, the SIM card’s basic functionality in wireless communications is subscriber
authentication and roaming. Although such features may be achieved via a centralized
intelligent network (IN) solution or a smarter handset, there are several key benefits that could not be realized without the use of a SIM card, which is external to a mobile
handset. These benefits—enhanced security, improved logistics, and new marketing
opportunities—are key factors for effectively differentiating wireless service offerings. This tutorial assumes a basic knowledge of the wireless communications industry and will discuss the security benefits, logistical issues, marketing opportunities, and customer benefits associated with smart cards.
The Typical configuration of a Smart Card is given by:
Receives clock and power from terminal
Three types of memory:
• Random Access Memory (RAM)
• Read-Only Memory (ROM)
• Electrically Erasable Programable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)
Restricted Resources
• Slow and simple microprocessor (8-bit)
• RAM ~1Kb
• ROM ~64Kb
• EEPROM ~16-64Kb
Restricted Version of Java
Smart Card Features
Smart cards contain unique features:
Chip is tamper-resistant.
Information stored on the card can be PIN protected and/or read-write protected.
Capable of performing data encryption.
Capable of processing (not just storing) information.
History of Smart Card Development
A card embedded with a microprocessor was first invented by two German engineers in 1967.In 1974 Roland Moreno, a French journalist, announced the smart card patent in France. In 1984 a breakthrough was achieved when French postal and Telecommunication services (PTT) carried out a field trial with telephone cards. Since the, smart cards are no longer tied to the traditional bankcard market even through phone market is still the largest market of smart card.
Due to the establishment of the ISO-7816 specification in 1987.the smart card format is now standardized. Now days, smart card from different venders could communicate with the host machine using a common set of language.
Different Types of Smart Cards
Basically based on their physical characteristics, smart cards be categorized into four types:
1. Memory Cards.
2. Contact CPU Cards
3. Contact less Cards
4. Combi Cards
Memory Cards:
A memory card is a card with only memory and access logic on board. It can only be used for data storage, no data processing capability is present. Without the on board CPU, memory cards use a synchronous communication mechanism between the reader and the card where the communication channel is under the direct control of the card reader. Data stored on the card can be retrieved with an appropriate command to the card.
In current cards, with the security control logic programmed on the card, access to the protection zone is restricted to users with proper password only.
Contact CPU Cards:
A more sophisticated version is the contact CPU cards. A microprocessor is embedded in the card. With this real”brain”, program stored inside the chip can be executed. Inside the same chip there are four other functional blocks.
1. The mask-ROM
2. Non volatile memory
3. RAM
4. I/O port
In the CPU card, ROM is masked with the chip’s operating system, which executes the commands issued by the terminal, and returns the corresponding result. Data and codes are stored in the non-volatile memory, usually EEPROM, Which could be modified after the card manufacturing stage. One of the main features of a CPU card is security. if a user could not successfully authenticate him/herself to the CPU, data kept on the card can not be retrieved.
Smart Card technology .doc (Size: 1.87 MB / Downloads: 96)
Introduction
Smart Card technology has been around for more than 20 years. Since its first introduction into the market, its main applications for the Payphone system. As card manufacturing cost decreases, smart card usage has expended. Its use in Asia is expended to be growing at a much faster than in Europe. According to a survey performed by Ovum Ltd.[Microsoft1998], the no of smart card units will reach 2.7 billion by 2003. The largest market will be in prepaid applications. Followed by access control, and electronic cash applications.
Using this powerful and highly secure card on PC and Inter is still not so common. Many international companies have identified the smart card as one of the new directions in electronic money and personal identification and authentication tools.
In May 1996,several companies including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packet and Schlumberger formed a PC/SC workgroup, which aimed at integrating the smart card with PC. Programming modules for smart cards using Visual J++, Visual C++ and Visual Basic have been developed.
The smart card is expected to be used in many applications especially in personal security related application such as access control, computer logon, secure email sending and retrieving services. The already implemented applications are prepayment for services, credit and debit card, loyalty card and access control card. The most commonly known example is the prepayment services cards namely prepaid phone cards, transportation cards and parking cards. Based on the e-purse cards people can perform bank transaction from ATM machines at home or in bank. With the use of Loyalty cards, companies could store discount information and shopping preferences of their customers. Using these shopping preferences, companies could design new strategies for the users. An access control system to building, computers or other secure areas is being handled by a single smart card. Smart card’s portability and security is main reason for its growth. Also since people are looking for smaller and devices for carrying their data, smart card provides the best solution.
What is Smart Card?
A Smart card is a plastic card with microprocessor chip embedded in it. The card looks like a normal credit card except for its metal contact. Other than normal credit and bankcard functions, it could act as an e-wallet, as a secure access control token ranging from door access control to computer authentication.
The smart card is defined as a ‘credit card” with a “brain” on it the brain being a small embedded computer chip. Some cards may have a microprocessor embedded, while others may only have a non-volatile memory. The storage capacity of a smart card ranges from 1K bytes to 64K bytes.
The stored data can be protected against unauthorized access and tampering. Inside a card access to the memory content is controlled by a secure logic circuit with the chip. As access to data can only be performed via a serial interface supervised by the operating system and the secure logic system, confidential data written on the card is prevented from unauthorized external access. The microprocessor chip can only process this secret data internally
Due to the high security level of smart cards and its offline nature, it is extremely difficult to ‘hack’ the value of smart card, or otherwise put unauthorized information on the card. Because it is hard to get the data without authorization, and because it fits in one’s pocket, a smart card is uniquely appropriate for secure and convenient data storage. Without permission of the cardholder, data cannot be captured or modified. Therefore smart card could further enhance the data privacy of the user.
Today, the SIM card’s basic functionality in wireless communications is subscriber
authentication and roaming. Although such features may be achieved via a centralized
intelligent network (IN) solution or a smarter handset, there are several key benefits that could not be realized without the use of a SIM card, which is external to a mobile
handset. These benefits—enhanced security, improved logistics, and new marketing
opportunities—are key factors for effectively differentiating wireless service offerings. This tutorial assumes a basic knowledge of the wireless communications industry and will discuss the security benefits, logistical issues, marketing opportunities, and customer benefits associated with smart cards.
The Typical configuration of a Smart Card is given by:
Receives clock and power from terminal
Three types of memory:
• Random Access Memory (RAM)
• Read-Only Memory (ROM)
• Electrically Erasable Programable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)
Restricted Resources
• Slow and simple microprocessor (8-bit)
• RAM ~1Kb
• ROM ~64Kb
• EEPROM ~16-64Kb
Restricted Version of Java
Smart Card Features
Smart cards contain unique features:
Chip is tamper-resistant.
Information stored on the card can be PIN protected and/or read-write protected.
Capable of performing data encryption.
Capable of processing (not just storing) information.
History of Smart Card Development
A card embedded with a microprocessor was first invented by two German engineers in 1967.In 1974 Roland Moreno, a French journalist, announced the smart card patent in France. In 1984 a breakthrough was achieved when French postal and Telecommunication services (PTT) carried out a field trial with telephone cards. Since the, smart cards are no longer tied to the traditional bankcard market even through phone market is still the largest market of smart card.
Due to the establishment of the ISO-7816 specification in 1987.the smart card format is now standardized. Now days, smart card from different venders could communicate with the host machine using a common set of language.
Different Types of Smart Cards
Basically based on their physical characteristics, smart cards be categorized into four types:
1. Memory Cards.
2. Contact CPU Cards
3. Contact less Cards
4. Combi Cards
Memory Cards:
A memory card is a card with only memory and access logic on board. It can only be used for data storage, no data processing capability is present. Without the on board CPU, memory cards use a synchronous communication mechanism between the reader and the card where the communication channel is under the direct control of the card reader. Data stored on the card can be retrieved with an appropriate command to the card.
In current cards, with the security control logic programmed on the card, access to the protection zone is restricted to users with proper password only.
Contact CPU Cards:
A more sophisticated version is the contact CPU cards. A microprocessor is embedded in the card. With this real”brain”, program stored inside the chip can be executed. Inside the same chip there are four other functional blocks.
1. The mask-ROM
2. Non volatile memory
3. RAM
4. I/O port
In the CPU card, ROM is masked with the chip’s operating system, which executes the commands issued by the terminal, and returns the corresponding result. Data and codes are stored in the non-volatile memory, usually EEPROM, Which could be modified after the card manufacturing stage. One of the main features of a CPU card is security. if a user could not successfully authenticate him/herself to the CPU, data kept on the card can not be retrieved.