Smartcard certification

✍ Scribed by David Cherrill

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 260 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1363-4127
• DOI: 10.1016/s1363-4127(99)80021-1

✦ Synopsis

Smartcards provide significantly better access control to the data stored on them than for instance magnetic-stripe cards. However, the level of protection provided against well-equipped attackers is frequently overestimated. Application designers must consider that skilled attackers can use various semiconductor test equipment to extract all information from smartcards, including cryptographic keys. Both invasive and noniiwasive attacks are possible and play different roles in risk evaluations.

The available techniques for penetrating smartcard processors fall into the following four categories:

• Microprobing techniques can be used to access the chip surface directly. Attackers observe, manipulate, and interfere with the integrated circuit usingVLS! chip test equipment.