Security Smart Card

The XceedID smart card system offers ahigh level of security and data integritythrough the use of high-level cryptographic techniques. The memory of the ISO credential is divided into several sectors(also called applications).

Each sector is secured by an Authentication Key. A readercan only access a secure sector after asuccessful mutual authentication isperformed. A successful mutual authentication requires that the reader andthe card share a common secret - the mutual authentication key.

The size of the mutualauthentication key employed by the ISOsmart card system is 128 bits – the largest inthe industry. After a successfulauthentication has taken place between thereader and the credential, communication isauthorized and the reader gains access to the authenticated sector or application using Message Authentication Codes (MACs).

Each message going back and forth betweenthe reader and the credential is digitallysigned, ensuring that the communication remains authentic at all times and that anunauthorized device cannot interfere withthe communication between the credentialand the reader.

The ISO smart card system is the only ISO15693 access control systemoffering Message Authentication Coding.The ISO smart card system also offers encryption of the data stored on thecredential. The encryption algorithms employed by the ISO system are thepopular DES and 3DES, which are strong,proven algorithms.