SMART CARDS
The "smart" credit
card is an innovative application that involves all aspects of cryptography
(secret codes), not just the authentication we described in the last section. A
Smart Card has a microprocessor built into the card itself. Cryptography is
essential to the functioning of these cards in several ways:
The user must corroborate his identity to the card
each time a transaction is made, in much the same way that a PIN is used with
an ATM.
The card and the card reader execute a sequence of
encrypted sign/countersign-like exchanges to verify that each is dealing with a
legitimate counterpart.
Once this has been established, the transaction itself
is carried out in encrypted form to prevent anyone, including the cardholder or
the merchant whose card reader is involved, from "eavesdropping" on
the exchange and later impersonating either party to defraud the system.
This elaborate protocol is
conducted in such a way that it is invisible to the user, except for the
necessity of entering a PIN to begin the transaction.
Smart cards first saw general use in France in 1984. They are now hot
commodities that are expected to replace the simple plastic cards most of us
use now. Visa and MasterCard are leading the way in the United States with
their Smart Card technologies.
The chips in these cards are
capable of many kinds of transactions. For example, you could make purchases
from your credit account, debit account or from a stored account value that's
reloadable. The enhanced memory and processing capacity of the Smart Card is
many times that of traditional magnetic-stripe cards and can accommodate several
different applications on a single card. It can also hold identification
information, keep track of your participation in an affinity (loyalty) program
or provide access to your office. This means no more shuffling through cards in
your wallet to find the right one -- the Smart Card will be the only one you
need!
New Innovations
Several
companies are designing ATMs for the blind. These machines would be located at
kiosks rather than bank drive-thrus. For several years, the keypads at ATMs
were equipped with braille for the blind or visually impaired.New innovations
in this technology will include machines that will verbally prompt the customer
for their card, their PIN and what type of transaction they would like.
ATM Security
Many banks recommend that you
select your own personal identification number (PIN).
Visa recommends the following
PIN tips:
1. Don't write down your PIN.
If you must write it down, do not store it in your wallet or purse.
2. Make your PIN a series of
letters or numbers that you can easily remember, but that cannot easily be
associated with you personally.
3. Avoid
using birth dates, initials, house numbers or your phone number.
Visa also recommends the
following tips for safe ATM usage:
Store your ATM card in your purse or wallet, in an
area where it won't get scratched or bent.
Get your card out BEFORE you approach the ATM. You'll
be more vulnerable to attack if you're standing in front of the ATM, fumbling
through your wallet for your card.
Stand directly in front of the ATM keypad when typing
in your PIN. This prevents anyone waiting to use the machine from seeing your
personal information.
After your transaction, take your receipt, card and
money away. Do not stand in front of the machine and count your money.
If you are using a drive-up ATM, get your vehicle as
close to the machine as possible to prevent anyone from coming up to your
window. Also make sure that your doors are locked before you drive up to the
machine.
Do not leave your car running while using a walk-up
ATM. Take your keys with you and lock the doors before your transaction.
If someone or something makes you uncomfortable,
cancel your transaction and leave the machine immediately. Follow up with your
bank to make sure the transaction was cancelled and alert them to any
suspicious people.
Many retail merchants close
their store at night. It is strongly recommended that they pull the money out
of the machine when they close, just like they do with their cash registers,
and leave the door to the security compartment wide open like they do with an
empty cash-register drawer.This makes it obvious to any would-be thief that
this not payday.
For safety reasons, ATM users
should seek out a machine that is located in a well-lighted public place.
Federal law requires that only the last four digits of the cardholder's account
number be printed on the transaction receipt so that when a receipt is left at
the machine location, the account number is secure. However, the entry of your
four-digit personal identification number (PIN) on the keypad should still be
obscured from observation, which can be done by positioning your hand and body
in such a way that the PIN entry cannot be recorded by store cameras or store employees.
The cardholder's PIN is not recorded in the journal, but the account number is.
If you protect your PIN, you protect your account.
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