A smart card is a card that is carried with either a microprocessor and a memory chip or only a memory chip that is not programmable. The microprocessor card can add. delete, and deal with the information on the card, while a memory-chip card can only do one thing.
Smart cards, unlike magnetic stripe cards, can do many different things and hold a lot of information. In this way, they do not need to get information from a faraway place when they are used.
Today, there are several kinds of smart cards, all of which are very popular in the market:
IC (Integrated Circuit) Microprocessor Cards Microprocessor Cards (chip cards) offer a larger memory and better security than the traditional magnetic stripe cards do. Chip cards can also hold data. These cards are used for many things. Thus, chips have been the main platform for cards that hold a secure digital identity. Some examples of these cards are:
Cards that hold money.
Cards that provide safe access to a network.
Cards that allow setting stop boxes on televisions to remain safe from privacy.
Optical Memory Cards Optical memory cards look like cards with a piece of CD on the top. Optical memory cards can store up to 4MB of data. But once written, the data can not be changed or removed. Thus, this type of card is good for keeping records, such as medical files, driving records or travel histories. Today, these have no processors in them (although this is coming in the near future). While the cards are almost as cheap as chip cards, the card readers are expensive.
Title: (1)_______________cards
| Types | (3)________________ | Disadvantages | Similarities |
| IC Chip Cards | A larger memory & Better (4)___________ Hold data | Not mentioned | Popularity Large (10) ____ Low cost of cards |
| Optical (2)___________ cards | Store much data Good for (5)_________ Drivers and (6)_______ to keep records (7)_______ not much | (8)________ data No processors Expensive card (9)___________ |