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The inside of a
smart card usually
contains an embedded
microprocessor. The
microprocessor is
under a gold contact
pad on one side of
the card. Think of
the microprocessor
as replacing the
usual magnetic
stripe on a credit
card or debit card.
Smart cards are much
more popular in
Europe than in the
United States. In
Europe, the health
insurance and
banking industries
use smart cards
extensively. Every
German citizen has a
smart card for
health insurance.
Even though smart
cards have been
around in their
modern form for at
least a decade, they
are just starting to
take off in the
United States.
Magnetic stripe
technology remains
in wide use in the
United States.
However, the data on
the stripe can
easily be read,
written, deleted or
changed with
off-the-shelf
equipment.
Therefore, the
stripe is really not
the best place to
store sensitive
information. To
protect the
consumer, businesses
in the U.S. have
invested in
extensive online
mainframe-based
computer networks
for verification and
processing.
The microprocessor
on the smart card is
there for security.
The host computer
and card reader
actually "talk" to
the microprocessor.
The microprocessor
enforces access to
the data on the
card. If the host
computer read and
wrote the smart
card's random access
memory (RAM), it
would be no
different than a
diskette.
Smarts cards may
have up to 8
kilobytes of RAM,
346 kilobytes of
ROM, 256 kilobytes
of programmable ROM,
and a 16-bit
microprocessor. The
smart card uses a
serial interface and
receives its power
from external
sources like a card
reader. The
processor uses a
limited instruction
set for applications
such as
cryptography.
|
90% of all us credit
card terminals are
not smart card
ready!!! |
