PGDCA Computer Fundamental

Card Reader
A card reader is a hardware device that can read and write to a memory card or memory stick. It
is often used to deliver data to computers or other devices for display and/or storage purposes.
"Card reader" is the generic term for an  input device that reads flash
memory cards. It can be a standalone device that connects to a computer via USB or it may be
integrated into a computer, printer, or multifunction device. In fact, most multifunction
printer/scanner/copiers now have built-in card readers.

Most card readers accept multiple memory card formats, including compact flash (CF), secure
digital (SD), and Sony's Memory Stick. Some card readers accept various other formats such as
XD, SmartMedia, Microdrive, and Memory Stick Pro Duo cards.

The purpose of a card reader is, not surprisingly, to read the data from a memory card. When you
place a memory card into a card reader, it will often show up on your computer as
a mounted disk. You can then view the contents of the memory card by double-clicking the
card's icon. This icon typically appears on the desktop of Macintosh computers or inside "My
Computer" on Windows machines.

Since memory cards most often contain pictures from digital cameras, a photo organization
program may automatically open when you insert a memory card into you card reader. This
provides an easy way of importing your pictures into your photo album. If you don't want to
import photos using the program, you can simply close the program and the card will still be
mounted on your computer.

Once you decide to remove the card, make sure you unmount or "eject" the disk before
physically removing the card. This will help prevent the data on the card from becoming
corrupted.

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Thumb Scanner or Finger Scanners

A fingerprint scanner is a type of technology that identifies and authenticates the fingerprints of
an individual in order to grant or deny access to a computer system or a physical facility.

It is a type of biometric security technology that utilizes the combination of hardware and
software techniques to identify the fingerprint scans of an individual.

A fingerprint scanner typically works by first recording fingerprint scans of all authorized
individuals for a particular system or facility. These scans are saved within a database. The user
requiring access puts their finger on a hardware scanner, which scans and copies the input from
the individual and looks for any similarity within the already-stored scans. If there is a positive
match, the individual is granted access.

Fingerprint scanners most commonly use an individual's thumbprint as identification.

It used to be that fingerprint scanners were mostly seen in movies and TV shows, or read about
in science fiction novels. But such times of imagination surpassing human engineering ability
has been long gone — fingerprint scanners have been in use for decades! Not only are fingerprint
scanners becoming more commonplace in the latest mobile devices, but they’re gradually
making headway into everyday life. Here’s what you should know about fingerprint scanners and
how they work.

Human fingerprints are practically unique, which is why they’re successful at identifying
individuals. It’s not just law enforcement agencies that collect and maintain databases of
fingerprints. Many types of occupations that require professional licensing or certification (e.g.
financial advisors, stock brokers, real estate agents, teachers, doctors/nurses, security,
contractors, etc.) mandate fingerprinting as a condition of employment. It's also typical to
provide fingerprints when having documents notarized.

Advancements in technology have been able to incorporate fingerprint scanners (can also be
referred to as ‘readers’ or ‘sensors’) as another (optional) security feature for mobile devices.
Fingerprint scanners are one of the latest in an ever-growing list – pin codes, pattern codes,

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passwords, face recognition, location detection, iris scanning, voice recognition,

trusted Bluetooth/NFC connection — of ways to lock and unlock smart phones. Why use a
fingerprint scanner? Many enjoy it for the security, convenience, and futuristic feel.

Fingerprint scanners work by capturing the pattern of ridges and valleys on a finger. The
information is then processed by the device’s pattern analysis/matching software, which
compares it to the list of registered fingerprints on file. A successful match means that an identity
has been verified, thereby granting access. The method of capturing fingerprint data depends on
the type of scanner being used:

 Optical Sensor: These types of scanners basically make a photocopy of the finger. Many
illuminate the finger in order to deliver crisp contrast of lines as the light-sensitive
scanner (usually an image sensor or light-sensitive microchip) records the information to
produce a digital image. Many PC-connected fingerprint scanners use optical sensors.
 Capacitive Sensor: Instead of light, capacitive scanners use electricity (think of the way
touchscreens work) to determine fingerprint patterns. As a finger rests on the touch-
capacitive surface, the device measures the charge; ridges exhibit a change in
capacitance, while valleys produce practically no change at all. The sensor uses all this
data to accurately map out prints. Most all smartphones with fingerprint scanners use
capacitive sensors.
 Ultrasonic Sensor: Similar to how bats and dolphins use echolocation to find and
identify objects, ultrasonic scanners work via sound waves. The hardware is designed to
send out ultrasonic pulses and measure how much bounces back. Ridges and valleys
reflect sound differently, which is how ultrasonic scanners are able to create a detailed
3D map of fingerprint patterns. Ultrasonic sensors are currently being prototyped (e.g. by
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.) and tested for use in mobile devices.

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smart card
A smart card is a physical card that has an embedded integrated chip that
acts as a security token. Smart cards are typically the same size as a driver's
license or credit card and can be made out of metal or plastic. They connect
to a reader either by direct physical contact (also known as chip and dip) or
through a short-range wireless connectivity standard such as radio-frequency
identification (RFID) or near-field communication (NFC).

The chip on a smart card can be either a microcontroller or an embedded

memory chip. Smart cards are designed to be tamper-resistant and use
encryption to provide protection for in-memory information. Those cards with
microcontroller chips can perform on-card processing functions and can
manipulate information in the chip's memory.

Smart cards are used for a variety of applications, though most commonly are
used for credit cards and other payment cards. Distribution of smart cards in
recent years has been driven by the payment card industry's move to support
smart cards for the EMV payment card standard. Smart cards capable of
short-range wireless connectivity can also be used for contactless payment
systems; they can also be used as tokens for multifactor authentication.

International standards and specifications cover smart card technology, with

some focused on industry-specific applications. In the United States, smart
card technology conforms to international standards (ISO/IEC 7816 and
ISO/IEC 14443) championed by the Smartcard Alliance.

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The first mass use of smart cards was the Télécarte, a telephone card for
payment in French pay phones which launched in 1983. Smart cards are now
ubiquitous and have largely replaced magnetic stripe (also known as "mag
stripe") card technology, which only has a capacity of 300 bytes of non-
rewriteable memory and no processing capability.

How smart cards work

Smart card microprocessors or memory chips exchange data with card readers and
other systems over a serial interface. The smart card itself is powered by an external
source, usually the smart card reader. A smart card communicates with readers either
via direct physical contact or using a short-range wireless connectivity standard such
as RFID or NFC. The card reader then passes data from the smart card to its intended
destination, usually a payment or authentication system connected to the smart card
reader over a network connection.

Uses of smart cards

 
EMV smart cards enable 'dipping' at point of sale
terminals.

Smart cards are generally used in applications that must deliver fast, secure
transactions and protect personal information such as credit cards and other
types of payment cards, corporate and government identification cards and
transit fare payment cards. Smart cards are also sometimes used to function
as documents such as electronic passports and visas.

Smart cards are often designed to be used with a PIN, for example, when they are
used as debit or ATM cards. Organizations also use smart cards for security purposes;
in addition to their use as multifactor authentication tokens, the cards can also be used
for authenticating single sign-on users.

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Types of smart cards

Smart cards can be categorized on different criteria including by how the card reads
and writes data, by the type of chip implanted in the card and by the capabilities of
that chip. Some of the different of types of smart cards include:

 Contact smart cards are the most common type of smart card. Contact smart
cards are inserted into a smart card reader that has a direct connection to a
conductive contact plate on the surface of the card. Commands, data and card
status are transmitted over these physical contact points.

 Contactless smart cards require only close proximity to a card reader to be

read; no direct contact is necessary for the card to function. The card and the
reader are both equipped with antennae and communicate using radio
frequencies over the contactless link. A contactless smart card functions by being
put near the reader to be read.

 Dual-interface cards are equipped with both contactless and contact

interfaces. This type of card enables secure access to the smart card's chip with
either the contactless or contact smart card interfaces.

 Hybrid smart cards contain more than one smart card technology. For
example, a hybrid smart card might have one embedded processor chip that is
accessed through a contact reader as well as an RFID-enabled chip used for
proximity connection. The two different chips may be used for different
applications linked to a single smart card, as when the proximity chip is used for
physical access to restricted areas while the contact smart card chip is used for
single sign-on authentication.

 Memory smart cards contain memory chips only and can only store, read and
write data to the chip; the data on memory smart cards can be over-written or
modified, but the card itself is not programmable so data can't be processed or
modified programmatically. Memory smart cards can be read-only and used to
store data such as a PIN, password or public key; they can also be read-write and
used to write or update user data. Memory smart cards can be configured to be
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rechargeable or disposable, in which case they contain data that can only be used
once or for a limited time before being updated or discarded.

 Microprocessor smart cards have a microprocessor embedded onto the chip

in addition to memory blocks. A microprocessor card may also incorporate
specific sections of files where each file is associated with a specific function. The
data in the files and the memory allocation are managed with a smart card
operating system. This type of card can be used for more than one function and is
usually designed to enable adding, deleting and otherwise manipulating data in
memory.

Smart cards can also be categorized by their application, such as credit card, debit
card, entitlement or other payment card, authentication token and so on.

Advantages of smart cards

Smart cards can provide a higher level of security than magnetic stripe cards as they
can contain microprocessors capable of processing data directly without remote
connections; even memory-only smart cards can be more secure because they can
securely store more authentication and account data than traditional mag stripe cards.

Smart credit cards became common as banks embraced

the EMV standard

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Another advantage of smart cards is that once information is stored on a smart card, it
can't easily be deleted, erased or altered. As such, smart cards are good for storing
valuable data that can't be -- or shouldn't be -- easily reproduced.

Smart card technology is generally safe against electronic interference and magnetic
fields, unlike magnetic stripe cards. In addition, applications and data on a card can be
updated through secure channels so issuers do not necessarily have to issue new cards
when an update is necessary. Multiservice smart card systems can enable users to
access more than one different service with just one smart card.

Disadvantages of smart cards

While smart cards have many advantages, the cards themselves -- as well as the smart
card readers -- can be expensive.

Another disadvantage of smart cards is that not all smart card readers are compatible
with all types of smart cards. With multiple types of smart cards available, some use
nonstandard protocols for data storage and card interface; some smart cards and
readers also use proprietary software that is incompatible with other readers.

While smart cards can be more secure for many applications, they are still vulnerable
to certain types of attack. Attacks that can recover information from the chip are
possible against smart card technology. Differential power analysis can be used to
deduce the on-chip private key used by public key algorithms such as RSA. Some
implementations of symmetric ciphers can be vulnerable to timing attacks or
differential power analysis as well. Smart cards may also be physically disassembled
in order to gain access to the on-board microchip.

Examples of smart cards

Smart card applications include:

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 Payment cards, including debit or credit cards issued by commercial credit

card companies and banks.

 Electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards, which are used for distribution of
government benefits such as the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program.

 Transit cards can be used by local and regional transit systems to process
payments as well as give riders points on their purchases.

 Smart cards are used as ID cards issued by schools, corporations and

government entities to control access to physical locations.

 Medical institutions use smart cards to securely store patient medical records.

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