Michel Ugon

Smart card, a highly reliable and portable security device

At first glance, the smart card looks like an improvement of the traditional credit card.But the smart card is a multi-purpose and tamper-free security device. And behind a standardized interface, the built-in electronics may evolve, in memory size and in processing power. This evolution, while resulting from economic considerations, is in tune with an enhancement of both physical and logical security.Some mechanisms in key-carrier cards are described, thus giving a taste of the state of the art in card operating systems. The underlying reality is an invasion of our lifetime by cryptology and computers. This invasion will have a large influence on security in various fields of applications, not only banking operations, but also data processing, information systems, and communication networks.

Cryptographic authentication protocols for smart cards

Today, cryptology is essential for security of information and communication systems. But 25 years ago, it was a classified and highly confidential activity. Presented here from the point of view of smart cards, this quick evolution of cryptology reflects the revolution of digital information, e.g., mobile phone and MPEG television. The link between smart cards and cryptology is very strong: smart cards efficiently confine keys and algorithms. Their security relies on a specific software, named here secure-ware, which demonstrates the value of the Common Criteria methodology