PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J. — The Smart Card Alliance has released a white paper examining the security of smart cards. Titled "What Makes a Smart Card Secure?," it was developed by the Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payment Council's Security Work Group to provide an overview of smart card security features and other security designs inherent in smart card-based systems. The report can be found for free at www.smartcardalliance.org.
"Our newest report details how smart card technology uses secure integrated circuits as the core of the technology, and explains the unique security benefits this provides to personal secure devices such as cards, USB tokens, SIM modules or embedded chips," said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. The white paper describes security considerations for organizations that are intending to deploy smart card technology for payment, security or identity applications.
It answers the following questions:
- Smart cards contain secure integrated circuits (IC). What is a secure IC, and what types of secure ICs are used in smart cards?
- What security features are designed into secure memory ICs and secure microcontrollers that protect data and thwart attempted attacks?
- What is the impact of contact and contactless interfaces on security?
- What types of cryptographic technologies are implemented with smart cards and how are they used to protect information and transactions?
- How do smart cards fit into overall system security? How is the financial industry using smart cards to improve the security of credit and debit payments?
Others involved in developing the report include Discover FS, First Data Corp, Giesecke & Devrient, IBM, IfD Consulting, Infineon Technologies, INSIDE Contactless, JCB International, NBS Technologies, NXP Semiconductors, Texas Instruments, Thales, Unisys, Venyon and ViVOtech.
