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Introducing the new FunkyGate-IP NFC

By johann.d on 18/06/2014 in E663, FunkyGate, NFC

SpringCard‘s technical team is proud to announce the launch of a new generation of contactless readers for high-end access control applications, the FunkyGate NFC family. Using the same shell as previous generation’s FunkyGate-DW (Dataclock, Wiegand and RS485 interfaces) and FunkyGate-SU … Continue reading →

Mifare Plus in a nutshell

By johann.d on 24/02/2011 in Technical articles

Following the breakdown of Mifare Classic security, NXP has released a new generation of contactless cards to fill the gap, the Mifare Plus. To ease the migration of the existing applications, this new chip keeps the memory model of the … Continue reading →

Definitioner

Personalization

Process during which a smart card is modified to contain the information for one person. Graphical personalization modifies the visual aspect of the card (holder's name, photograph). Electrical personalization modifies the information in the card's chip.

PC/SC

The de-facto standard to interface Personal Computers with Smart Cards (and smartcard readers of course). SpringCard PC/SC Readers comply with this standard. This makes those products usable on most operating systems, using an high-level and standardized API.

Key

A value that is used with a cryptographic algorithm to encrypt (or sign) data. The longer the key, the more secure the encryption.

3DES (Interoperability)

The ability of products manufactured by different companies to operate correctly with one another.

3DES (Integrity)

Guarantee that a data (or code) has not been modified in transit. Integrity is an essential role of cryptography systems.

3DES (Hash)

A crytographic functions that computes a fixed-size digest of any message, so the recipient can make sure the message has not been altered.

Firmware

Low-level software that is similar to hardware features. This software operates by exchanging commands directly with an external device or with a specific software loaded in the product.

3DES (Firmware)

Low-level software that is similar to hardware features. This software operates by exchanging commands directly with an external device or with a specific software loaded in the product.

3DES (Encryption)

A cryptographic procedure whereby a legible message is encrypted and made illegible to all but the holder of the appropriate cryptographic key.

3DES (EMV)

Europay - Mastercard - Visa. The specifications and the certification process dedicated to the smartcards (and readers) used in banking applications.

3DES (EEPROM)

Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. Special non-volatile memory whose content can be erased and new data can be reloaded electrically. In smart cards EEPROM is typically used for application data and for certain filtered functions.

3DES (Digital Signature)

An electronic signature created using a public-key algorithm. A digital signature can be used by the recipient to authenticate the identity of the sender and to ensure the integrity of the message.

DESFire

The MIFARE DESFire is a special release of Philips SmartMX platform. It is sold already programmed with a general purpose software (the DESFire operating system).

3DES (DESFire)

The MIFARE DESFire is a special release of Philips SmartMX platform. It is sold already programmed with a general purpose software (the DESFire operating system).

3DES (DES)

Data Encryption Standard. The most widely used secret key encryption algorithm (orginally developed by IBM in 1977). A strengthened version of DES called triple DES (or 3DES) is commonly used in bank cards.

Cryptography

The science of ensuring that messages are secure. Cryptographic systems are based on the concepts of authentication, integrity, confidentiality and non-repudiation.

Authentication

The process whereby a card, terminal or person proves who they are. A fundamental part of many cryptography systems.

API

Application Programming Interface: A definition of calling conventions through which an application program accesses to other services such as the operating system, drivers, databases, or middleware layers.

Anti-collision

A feature commonly used in contactless card systems to prevent conflicts between different signals competing for attention at the same time.

AES

Advanced Encryption Standard: A secret-key encryption algorithm.

Mifare

This trademark of NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductors) is the generic brand name of their PICC products. Billions of Mifare Classic cards have been deployed since the 90's. This is a family of wired-logic PICCs were data storage is divided into sectors and protected by a proprietary1 stream cipher called CRYPTO1. Every sector is protected by 2 access keys called 'key A' and 'key B'. NXP also offers another family of wired-logic PICCs called Mifare UltraLight (adopted by NFC Forum as Type 2 NFC Tags). Mifare SmartMX (and former Pro/ProX) is a family of microprocessor-based PICCs that may run virtually any smartcard application, typically on top a JavaCard operating system. Mifare Desfire is a particular microprocessor-based PICC that runs a single general-purpose application.

T=CL (ISO 15693)

This international standard defines the VCD/VICC communication scheme. It is divided into 3 layers: 1. Defines the hardware characteristics of the VICC, 2. Defines the carrier frequency and the bit-level communication scheme, 3. Defines the frame-level communication scheme, the session opening sequence (anti-collision/inventory), and the command set of the VICC. All VICCs are memory chips. Their data storage area is divided into blocks. The size of the blocks and the number of them depend on the VICC. Note that ISO 18000-3 mode 1 is the same as ISO 15693

ISO 14443

This international standard defines the PCD/PICC communication scheme. It is divided into 4 layers: 1. Defines the hardware characteristics of the PICC, 2. Defines the carrier frequency and the bit-level communication scheme, 3. Defines the frame-level communication scheme and the session opening sequence (anti-collision), 4. Defines the transport-level communication scheme (sometimes called “T=CL”). The application-level is out of the scope of ISO 14443. Most microprocessor-based PICCs implement ISO 7816-4 on top of ISO 14443-4. A lot of wired logic PICCs (NXP Mifare family, ST MicroElectronics ST/SR families, to name a few) implements only a subset of ISO 14443, and have their own set of functions on top of either ISO 14443-2 or ISO 14443-3. Note that ISO 14443-2 and ISO 14443-3 are divided into 2 protocols called 'A' and 'B'. A PCD shall implement both, but the PICCs implement only one of them1. Four communication baudrates are possible: 106 kbit/s is mandatory, higher baudrates (212, 424 or 848 kbit/s) are optional.

T=CL (ISO 14443)

ISO 7816-4

This international standard defines both a communication scheme and a command set. The communication scheme is made of APDUs. The command set assumes that the card is structured the same way as a computer disk drive: directories and files could be selected (SELECT instruction) and accessed for reading or writing (READ BINARY, UPDATE BINARY instructions). More than 40 instructions are defined by the standard, but most cards implement only a small subset, and often add their own (vendor-specific) instructions.

NFC

Near-field communication. A subset of RFID, where the operating distance is much shorter than the wavelength of the radio waves involved. This is the case for both ISO 14443 and ISO 15693: the carrier frequency is 13.56MHz, leading to a wavelength of 22m. The proximity and vicinity ranges are shorter than this wavelength.

reader (Microprocessor-based card)

An ICC (or a PICC) whose chip is a small computer. This is the case of high-end cards used in payment, transport, eID/passports, access control... Key features are security, ability to store a large amount of data and to run an application inside the chip. Most of the time they implement the command set defined by ISO 7816-4.

reader (CD)

Coupling device or coupler. A device able to communicate with an ICC. This is what everybody calls a smartcard reader. Technically speaking it could be seen as a gateway between the computer and the card.

smartcard (ICC)

Integrated-circuit card. This is the standard name for a plastic card holding a silicon chip (an integrated circuit) compliant with the ISO 7816 standards. A common name is smartcard.

smartcards (ICC)

Integrated-circuit card. This is the standard name for a plastic card holding a silicon chip (an integrated circuit) compliant with the ISO 7816 standards. A common name is smartcard.

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Tag Archives | AES

Introducing the new FunkyGate-IP NFC

Mifare Plus in a nutshell