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Any pocket sized card having embedded Integrated Circuits is known as a smart card, or IC card or a chip card. These are 2 kinds: Memory cards having non-volatile memory storage and some security logic dedicated to it. The other is the Microprocessor card; which has microprocessor components along with a volatile memory and the card is made of plastic.
A smart card has dimensions identical to credit cards. Another kind is the one used as SIM cards for mobile phones. These contain a security system too and are managed by an administration system. The smart card communicates via card-reading devices with the administration systems.
Smart cards are usually used in systems that require data storage, application processing, identification and authentication. The smart card is convenient for such applications as a single card can be programmed for multiple functions. Proximity authentication and multi factor embedded in the cards have increased the security several folds.
The smart card has provided enhanced security to the data and services used by the individuals. Its convenience and secure nature as well as multi-programmability have made it very popular among the financial institutions, governments and also the common masses that use it.
The contact smart cards have a small contact area i.e. of 1 sq. cm. (approx) that has many gold plated contact pads that provide electrical connectivity with the reader. These cards don’t contain batteries and hence the power needs to be supplied by the card reader. The standards of shape, size, electrical connections & characteristics, protocols and basic functions are defined in the series: ISO/IEC 7810 and ISO/IEC 7816.
The microprocessor in the smart card is for security purposes, it enforces the access to the data on the cad. As far as the memory is concerned, smart cards may have up to 8 KB of RAM, 256 KB of programmable ROM, 346 KB of ROM and a 16 bit microprocessor. The instruction set for the smart card is very limited.
Credit cards, wireless communication, electronic cash, computerized security systems, banking industry, satellite TV, government Identification and authentication are some of the areas where we find use of Smart cards.
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