THC-Archive/Papers/smartcrd.txt

SMART CARDS

by Morcc/THC

New applications for smart cards are being discovered on a daily basis,
overriding former simple uses such as memory cards (telephone cards)
which have been dominant to date. Today, with an expanding market for
highly sophisticated applications, the time for the smart card has come.
Examples of these "smarter" cards are SiM cards for the C and D nets of the
mobile phone networks of German Telekom & Mannesman, banking cards, ID cards
and access control cards. Smart cards are also synonymous with security.
Smart cards are used for communication. The information they contain is
requested by reader devices and then forwarded to further processing.
Within then GSM network the card has the function of a key. As a SiM it
allows access to the network. To ensure that smart cards and terminals
communicate correctly and that data is exchanged smoothly and without
error, some companies offer a SiM simulator which reproduces the behaviour
of the card during the session with the terminal and creates a protocol log
of the procedure. The SiM simulator is very interesting, it looks a little
bit weird but that doesn't matter. One of these SiM simulators is called
Test SiM and its main area of application is in spot checks during quality
tests, i.e. during the development of mobile telephones. The SiM editor is
the software which is used to r/w to the card's memory. One of these
editors is called Dr. SiM, a very popular device, because every fool can
operate it. Some smart card companies already developed cards for UNiX
computer security. This is secured for workstations within a UNiX LAN.
The system is called X-Secure. The user identifies himself with a personal
ID number whichis on the card. A two-way dialogue then takes place between
the card and the computer, involving high security checks. Once access has
been granted, the user can use the system.
In the future we will all use smart cards. As a electronic wallet, for
medical purposes, electronic locking, systematic traffic control and
electronic toll collection. Security will be better and better, but there
are always ways around it. The best way to get good information is to call
one of the smart card companies and tell them you're Mr. X from the X company
and that you're interested in the smart card technology because you're planning
to use smart cards in the company. If you have the right feeling how to talk
with people on the phone you'll get the best informations.

If you don't know numbers of such companies, here are some of them...

Germany +49-5254-991-0
UK      +44-1491-41-0997
USA     +1-610-993-9810

I hope that you know have a basic idea of smart cards and that you want to
know more about it. Go ahead! Start with collecting more information.

Bye,
Morcc/THC