Security 193
Besides the processor, the different types of memory are the main
elements of the microcontroller. They serve to save programs and
data. Smartcard microcontrollers are computers in their own right.
They generally have between 1 and 8 Kb of RAM, between 64 and
256 Kb of ROM and between 16 and 128 Kb of EEPROM.
The amount of EEPROM available on a smartcard was, for a long
time, limited by the fact that EEPROM was not designed specifically
for smartcards, and that its physical limits of miniaturization had been
achieved. Flash memory has enabled us to overcome this constraint.
Thus, we have seen the emergence of the first smartcard prototypes
with 1 Mb of persistent Flash memory.
The protection of the smartcard is mainly taken care of by the
operating system. The mode of physical routing for data access is only
available after personalization of the card just before it is issued to the
user. Data are accessed through a logical structure of files secured by
access control mechanisms.
The smartcard is widely used in mobile telephone networks (SIM
cards), as are public key infrastructures (PKIs). This technology has
enabled operators to exploit their network whilst greatly limiting the
number of instances of fraud, thereby also ensuring financial viability.
It is also the legal support for electronic signatures, as recognized by
numerous countries.
The EAP smartcard directly processes the EAP protocol in the
smartcard. The main intended applications are EAP-SIM and EAPTLS. There are many advantages to an EAP-TLS protocol being
executed on a smartcard. Firstly, authentication is independent of any
given software publisher (e.g. Microsoft). In addition, the security
provided is certainly better than with EAP-TLS carried out in software
form by the processor of a personal computer, because it is always
possible for spyware that has infected the PC to capture the keys. The
advantage of smartcards is that all the computations are carried out in
the card itself, and the smartcard only outputs an encrypted flow. The
secret keys never leave the smartcard.
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Besides the processor, the different types of memory are the main
elements of the microcontroller. They serve to save programs and
data. Smartcard microcontrollers are computers in their own right.
They generally have between 1 and 8 Kb of RAM, between 64 and
256 Kb of ROM and between 16 and 128 Kb of EEPROM.
The amount of EEPROM available on a smartcard was, for a long
time, limited by the fact that EEPROM was not designed specifically
for smartcards, and that its physical limits of miniaturization had been
achieved. Flash memory has enabled us to overcome this constraint.
Thus, we have seen the emergence of the first smartcard prototypes
with 1 Mb of persistent Flash memory.
The protection of the smartcard is mainly taken care of by the
operating system. The mode of physical routing for data access is only
available after personalization of the card just before it is issued to the
user. Data are accessed through a logical structure of files secured by
access control mechanisms.
The smartcard is widely used in mobile telephone networks (SIM
cards), as are public key infrastructures (PKIs). This technology has
enabled operators to exploit their network whilst greatly limiting the
number of instances of fraud, thereby also ensuring financial viability.
It is also the legal support for electronic signatures, as recognized by
numerous countries.
The EAP smartcard directly processes the EAP protocol in the
smartcard. The main intended applications are EAP-SIM and EAPTLS. There are many advantages to an EAP-TLS protocol being
executed on a smartcard. Firstly, authentication is independent of any
given software publisher (e.g. Microsoft). In addition, the security
provided is certainly better than with EAP-TLS carried out in software
form by the processor of a personal computer, because it is always
possible for spyware that has infected the PC to capture the keys. The
advantage of smartcards is that all the computations are carried out in
the card itself, and the smartcard only outputs an encrypted flow. The
secret keys never leave the smartcard.
www.it-ebooks.info