Technology itself is neutral, but people who use technology need to be questioned. We must realize that contactless smart card technology will not disappear, but will become more secure than traditional credit card technology, because there will be more and better technology to ensure your personal information and privacy. Queen Size Bed,Trundle Bed,Single Bed,Futon Bed Bosa Furniture Co.,Ltd. , https://www.guangdongbosa.com
Nowadays, more and more contactless smart cards are beginning to enter people's daily lives, such as bus cards and bank credit cards. The IC chips in some cards are visible, but most contactless cards are not recognized, so that people may not realize the security risks caused by contactless cards.
It's no wonder, because contactless cards differ from regular cards only in the way they communicate information at the time of the transaction. The traditional magnetic card is mainly operated by a magnetic strip, and the "brain" of the non-contact card is a label. The tag consists of one or a group of semiconductor chips and antennas that relay and transmit RF signals to and from the chip through the antenna. The working principle of this passive RFID technology is not known to the public, so the concern about contactless cards is justified.
For contactless credit cards, it can alleviate the concerns of the public by understanding the three issues.
1. Information stored in the contactless card chip
2. Is the chip safe?
3. Chip operating frequency and data transmission standard
The information stored in the contactless card is the same as that stored in the conventional magnetic card, and generally includes the cardholder's name, address, card number, and password. It may also include some other information, such as the cardholder's birthday, as well as some highly sensitive personal information. Contactless cards are small in size, but their storage capacity is typically several megabytes.
The chips used in contactless cards are usually safe. The storage of a chip can be changed by reading and writing instructions and supports encryption. This means that the chip contains not only fixed information that can be written once, such as personal information, but also encrypted information that can protect static data.
The chip antenna allows communication between the chip and the reader using RF signals. The energy required for the RFID credit card is provided by the reader's RF field, and then the commands and data are accepted for corresponding operations. This type of communication prevents remote reading. The frequency used for RFID credit cards and readers is high, and this frequency is also used to identify animals or for supply chain management systems. Most of the credit cards work at 13.56 MHz and are compliant with the ISO 14443 standard.
Non-contact smart card applications are becoming more widespread
The 13.56MHz frequency of the reader's operation is lower than that of the ultra-high frequency (800MHz-1800MHz) of the mobile phone. But in fact, the read and write distance of 13.56MHz depends on the size of the tag and the type of reader, typically up to 1 meter (3.28 feet).
The ISO 14443 standard mainly consists of four parts of the standard for short-range contactless smart cards. The general read and write range is up to 10 cm (4 inches). The ISO 14443 standard supports authentication mechanisms such as encryption.
The data transfer rate is affected by the substance placed between the reader and the chip, such as the reflection of the metal on the RF signal. Based on this principle, there is a thin metal strip on the side of the e-passport that prevents the passport from being read when the passport is not opened. However, metal may also generate noise between the reader and the smart card or break the tuning of the reader and the tag, which is likely to affect the frequency and data transmission standards.
It is therefore necessary to take care to protect the security of contactless smart cards and stored information. For example, Texas Instruments, the world leader in RFID technology and the world's largest manufacturer of RFID tag chips, said that the scale of RFID applications will be larger and larger, but the final decision is in the hands of users.
Here are five tips to help you use your contactless credit card more securely.
1. Unlike the passive technology used by credit cards, you must take a proactive stance to protect your information. Call your credit card company to ask if your card is a "contactless" card or a traditional card. If it is a contactless card, you have to request a replacement for a traditional card because you refuse to use RFID technology.
2. Ask the credit card company about the frequency and ISO status. If these two are consistent with the above (13.56MHz, ISO14443 standard), that's fine. If they are inconsistent, you have to ask why and ask for more detailed information.
3. Ask for the encryption method of the credit card. The password on the contactless card can range from 32 bits to 128 bits.
4. Ask the credit card company for fraud detection and other precautions.
5. Be careful when shopping. Technology is developing, but it is always a hacker step by step. So you have to be careful when doing electronic online trading or in the actual shopping process.
Technology itself is neutral, but people who use technology need to be questioned. On the other hand, you must be aware that this technology will not disappear, but will become more secure than traditional credit card technology, because there will be more and better technology to ensure the security of your personal information and privacy.