About Smart Card

Introduction of Smart Card

Ø Plastic payment cards.

Ø Each card has an ICC (Integrated Circuit Card)

Ø Chip cards

Ø ICC Consist two types Memory cards and Microprocessor card

Ø Memory card is the non-volatile memory (ROM) - cheapest but not secure

Ø  Microprocessor card is the volatile memory (RAM) - more expensive but much more secure with potential for greater usage.

Ø  Microprocessor card can add, delete and otherwise manipulate the information.

Ø  Card made as PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) plastic sometime in ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene).

Ø Card size

ü ID-1 (ISO 7810)à85.60X53.98 mm

ü ID-000à 25X15 mm

ü Both card are 0.76 mm thick

Ø Processor cards (and therefore memory too)

Ø Cards have an operating system too.

Ø The OS provides

Ø A standard way of interchanging information

Ø An interpretation of the commands and data.

Ø Cards must interface to a computer or terminal through a standard card reader.

Architecture of Smart Card

Typical Configuration

Ø256 bytes to 4KB RAM.

Ø 8KB to 32KB ROM.

Ø1KB to 32KB EEPROM.

Ø Crypto-coprocessors (implementing 3DES, RSA etc., in hardware) are optional.

Ø 8-bit to 16-bit CPU. 8051 based designs are common.

Smart Card Types

CONTACT CARD

  Ø Contains a small gold chip about ½ inch in diameter on the front of the card.

          Ø When inserted into a reader, the chip makes contact with electrical connectors that can read information from the chip and write information back.

  Ø The cards do not contain batteries; energy is supplied by the card reader.

CONTACTLESS CARD

  Ø Chip communicates with the card reader through RFID induction technology.

  ØThese cards require only close proximity to an antenna to complete transaction.

  Ø They are often used when transactions must be processed quickly or hands-free.

COMBI CARDS

    Ø The combi card (also known as the dual-interface card) is a card with both contact and contactless interfaces. With such a card, it becomes possible to access the same chip via a contact or contactless interface, with a very high level of security

Smart Card Reader

Ø Computer based readers Connect through USB or COM (Serial) ports

Ø Dedicated terminals Usually with a small screen, keypad, printer, often also have biometric devices such as thumb print scanner.

Ø Finger Print Scanner with smart Card reader.

Benefits of Smart Card

Ø Less network cost - Online/offline transaction.

Ø Fraud will be avoided (Microprocessor, Cryptography, Secret Code, Dynamic Code) That code only known to the Issuer

Ø Memory

ü Public Memory

ü Private Memory

Ø Corruption not reduced fully.

Ø Smart card supports the Multiple Application.

Ø The primary benefit from the use of a Smartcard is increased security. Smartcards are inherently more secure than conventional magnetic stripe cards and this brings tangible benefit to both the card issuer and the card user. 

Magnetic Stripe Card

A magnetic stripe card is a type of card capable of storing data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material on the card.

The magnetic stripe, sometimes called a magstripe, is read by physical contact and swiping past a reading head.

Magnetic stripe cards are commonly used in credit cards, identity cards, and transportation tickets.

They may also contain an RFID tag, a transponder device and/or a microchip mostly used for business premises access control or electronic payment.

Drawbacks of Magstripe Card:

->Network cost

->Fraud

->Duplication of Card

->Corruption of Data

->It does not support Multiple Application