Smart cards

Abstract

Although smart cards are now very common, this technology is still very new, with the first smart cards appearing in the 1970’s. Since then, their evolution has been very rapid. Smart cards have advanced from simple memory cards to very efficient “microcomputers” with multiple applications. Equipped with a microcontroller, these cards are able to store and protect information using cryptographic algorithms. They are also resistant to physical stresses such as twisting and bending. The physical structure of the smart card consist of a small plastic rectangle with a magnetic stripe, holograms, relief characters and an embedded chip. They are small, and easy to use and carry. The security and portability of smart cards provide a safe, reliable, convenient, and effective way to ensure secure transactions (banking, e-business, etc.), and to enable a broad range of applications. Thus, modern smart cards can actually be used in any system that needs security and authentication. They have been proven to be an ideal means of making high-level security available to everyone.