Is there any difference between contact smart cards and contactless smart cards in their ability to protect personal information?
Both contact and ISO/IEC 14443-compliant contactless smart cards are equally able to protect personal information. While contact smart cards must be physically inserted into a card reader for communications, ISO/IEC 14443-compliant contactless smart cards use electromagnetic fields to communicate with the reading device, when placed within a range of up to 10 centimeters (4 inches). Contactless technology is an excellent technology for access control applications, as it supports short transaction times while preserving system security. Because contactless cards can be operated without being physically inserted into a card reader, a number of precautions can be taken to ensure that user privacy is protected during a transaction. • User data can be digitally signed by the issuing authority to guarantee that it has not been tampered with. • Communication between the card and the reader can be encrypted so that eavesdroppers cannot obtain access to cardholder information. • Authentication
