Smart Cards
Tackling security the smart way
A smart card, typically a type of chip card, is a plastic card that contains an embedded computer chip–either a memory or microprocessor type–that stores and transacts data. This data is usually associated with either value, information, or both and is stored and processed within the card’s chip.
Smart cards may be used for a number of different applications, including ID, authentication, or to store information. Smart cards have been widely used in the financial sector for many years now, in order for banks to offer their customer more flexibility securely. In more recent years smart cards have been applied to the transport system allowing travellers to move around more efficiently and to retail loyalty schemes.
Examples of some applications of smart cards can be seen below:
- Encoded with personal data including: address, age, medical history & blood type
- Biometric access control encrypted with fingerprint and retinal scan data
- Printed with a strong corporate identity and a large portrait
smart card types
There are four types of smart cards, which are defined by the way they are read/written:
Contact Cards
Contact type smart card is divided into 2 main categories, memory chip and microprocessor chip.
CONTACTLESS CARD
hybrid card
Magnetic Strip Card
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