Companies and organisations are increasingly becoming in favour or implementing the use of smart cards as a means of identification due to the many benefits that they provide. A smart card is a small device about the size and shape of a credit card and generally consists of tiny integrated circuits which operate like a small computer and have the ability to process various types of information. The obvious difference is that there is no display or means of manually inputting data, such as a keyboard.
Despite the technology being so small and portable smart cards have in fact been in wide circulation for well over a decade. Their use is particularly prevalent in the banking and health sectors. Smart cards are able to store up to 10,000 MB of data, which is equivalent to several pages of information. It is unsurprising to see that they are starting to be used to replace the magnetic strip cards that we regularly use as our banking and credit cards. Because of the flexibility of these cards, many organisations are making moves to take advantage of the additional benefits that come with using smart cards for the purposes of identification.
As well as having their own operating system and integrated circuits, most smart cards will have RAM, ROM as well as a CPU (central processing unit). They are essentially mini computers that are used for specifically designed purposes and as such are highly capable of processing and secure data in a secure way. It is simple enough to read data that is contained on the smart card chip as the card reader just needs to communicate with the card s operating system. This makes smart cards extremely secure as users must enter a password so that they can gain access to various parts of the chip s memory.
In addition to this password protection, an extra layer of security is implemented in the form of encryption. This then allows information to be encoded before being stored securely and then decoded when necessary. Holograms are also used as a method of preventing smart cards from being counterfeited.
Smart cards are so powerful that it is entirely possible for them to perform most of the tasks that had previously been associated with personal computers and because they are so portable, many organisations are making smart cards an integral part of their computer access procedures. For example, if two workers with differening job titles and responsibilities were in the position where they both used the same computer then it would be possible to set up the machine with a smart card reader that would allow each employee to access a different part of the computer system, depending on who s card had been entered. Data encoded onto the chip such as an individuals limitations/privileges easily makes this possible.
The possible applications for smart cards are wide ranging and currently cover a wide variety of purposes such as the aforementioned computer access, credit cards and banking, airport security and health information. As an example of it s use in heaelth care in the US, the card may contain insurance provider information which can then be easily transferred to the required medical admittance form. Through the use of encryption all data is securely onto the chip.
It is easy to see why smart cards have been so widely embraced as the benefits are numerous. In the long run they are highly cost effective, they eliminate the needs for a large centrally located computer that requires 24 hour phone lines in order that transactions can take place. The size and portability of the cards means that they are an excellent choice for remote locations where wired communication may not be as readily available.
Author Resource:
Dave Matthews is writing on behalf of Universal Smart Cards (http://www.usmartcards.com), a leading online supplier of Smart Cards.
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