Advantages of Smart Card

What is a Smart Card?

A smart card is a plastic card that has an integrated circuit in it on which data is processed. It may be a microprocessor chip memory chip. Thus, smart cards can be used as an identification and authentication medium, storage of data, as well as secure monetary transactions....

Key Terminologies of Smart Card

Integrated Circuit (IC): An integrated circuit is a combination of various electronic circuits which is referred to as a chip and is made of a semiconductor material in most cases it is silicon. This is a microprocessor that is inserted inside the smart card, its main function being to process and store information. Contact Smart Card: A contact smart card is a type of card that has an attached gold chip still on the visible face of the card. It has to be inserted into a smart card reader, that creates a direct link with the card’s microchip. Contactless Smart Card: A contactless smart card works through radio-frequency identification (RFID) where the card interacts with the reader. Microprocessor Card: A microprocessor card contains a microprocessor & memory and, therefore, can process data. Memory Card: A memory card is something that holds only volatile memory and some special security features....

How Smart Cards Work?

1. Using a Contact Smart Card...

Types of Smart Cards

Contact Smart Cards: These cards have an insert that may be seen on the exterior of the card and need to be inserted in the slot for reading the card. Contactless Smart Cards: These cards utilize RFID and do not require the holder to place the card on a Card Reader for it to work. Dual-Interface Smart Cards: These cards operate at the same time as the contact cards and non-contact cards Card capabilities make it possible to use them in various ways. Memory Smart Cards: These cards have memory and some security logic processing capability but unlike smart cards do not have a microprocessor. These are utilized in easier applications. Microprocessor Smart Cards: These cards possess a microprocessor and can thus perform more robust activities and data processing as compared to the former....

Uses of Smart Cards

Banking and Financial Services: It mainly applies to credit/debit cards, making secure online purchases, and getting the ATM PIN. Healthcare: They are mainly retained to store patient data records, medical history, and insurance particulars. Identification and Access Control: It is used in personal identification, employee ID cards, and government identification. Transportation: It is applied to the payment of fares in passenger transport services. Telecommunications: They are preferably used in the little cards in mobile phones commonly known as SIM cards....

Examples of Smart Cards

Credit/Debit Cards: It is employed in secured money transactions. SIM Cards: It is widely applied in the construction of mobile phones to store subscriber information. Health Insurance Cards: Employed to retain patient records of health and his insurance specifics. ID Cards: They are applied for identification purposes and for securing access to certain definite facilities, offices, agencies, etc. Public Transport Cards: They are employed in the payment of fares in buses, trains, and subways....

Future of Smart Card Technology

Biometric Integration: An efficient technique in the primary security smart card utilizing biometrics. Increased Adoption of Contactless Cards: It lets people manage their Point of Sale transactions, biometric identity, unlocking doors, among other things, as they gain advancement. Enhanced Encryption Techniques: Another factor that should be improved is the protection of the data to be stored that often is stored in smart cards. Integration with Mobile Devices: Smart cards can be hardwired right into the Smartphone for a second factor of identification for mobile money as well. Expansion in IoT Applications: These smart cards could have been of so much help in increasing the security of the IoT devices and the related networks....

Advantages of Smart Card

Data Encryption: Smart card uses much higher encryption techniques to regulate the information that is contained in the smart card and this makes it very hard for other persons who do not have a right of entry into the smart card to do so. Authentication: It has been established that smart cards depict some risks of Identity theft and fraud characterized as low because the tool guarantees the necessary assurances of the user’s identity. Storage Capacity: Smart cards possess details that might not be visible and these include details such as; personal information, certificates, encrypted keys, and others. Portability: Smart cards are small that they can be carried anywhere and they are portable hence making it easy for one to access the services and do his or her transactions....

Disadvantages of Smart Card

Implementation: Implementing a smart card can be a complex task. Maintenance: That makes the cost of the system high because regular service and updating of the system are essential all the time Standardization: As it is with most products in the technology market, some smart card systems cannot work with other systems hence inter-connectivity issues. Data Breaches: Smart cards sometimes lead to data breaches. Lost or Stolen Cards: As for smart cards the problem of losing the card or having it stolen is the fact that information stored on the card can be easily retrieved by other people....

Frequently Asked Questions on Smart Card – FAQs

1. What is the example of a smart card?...