Smart card aims to fight fraud

[Ian Miller]

>Perhaps they have small electromagnets in the stripe that are only activated
>for a minute or so.
>
More likely the card has some form of antenna, probably a coil, that
transmits the data to the card reader's read-head.  If so, it would not be
necessary to swipe the card, merely place it in the reader.  It makes a lot
of sense as a way of maintaining compatibility with reinstalled kit.  It
probably also makes reading more reliable as it will be much more
consistently clocked than a manual swipe.

I realise that this isn't strictly "written to the magnetic stripe", but we
are quoting marketing material.

If this is the case, then the card is effectively broadcasting its current
virtual magnetic stripe data, and this may be readable at some distance.
Depending on whether the protocols are designed properly or not, this could
be opening a whole new range of vulnerabilities.

Ian

--
Ian_Miller  FAI-D10204 <http://www.bifroest.demon.co.uk/>

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