Identifying the nation - smartly

March/April 2000 Access Control & Identity Management

The concept of a national ID smartcard may have seemed futuristic a few years ago. This is no longer the case as the government recently announced that a smart ID is on the cards for 2001. This hi-tech way of establishing the identity of the cardholder has many advantages not the least of which include increased efficiency, reduced fraud and genuine authentication.

"A smart ID is not as high-tech as some people believe, a smartcard is merely a more secure and more intelligent way of storing and processing information," says Stirling McBride, Product Manager at Integrated Card Technology (ICT).

"A smartcard is the size of a standard credit or ATM card, instead of a magnetic stripe which can only store a minimal amount of information, the smartcard contains a memory or microprocessor chip which stores, manages and processes larger amounts of data. The built-in logic provided by smartcard microprocessors allows them to play an active role in ensuring security in a way that magnetic stripes cannot. The card is made of durable PVC that is fully tested in terms of ISO standards prior to issue. Data retention on the chip is guaranteed for 10 years unlike a magnetic stripe card while a minimum of 10 000 read/write cycles can be undertaken," says McBride.

Embedded intelligence

"The smartcard has the memory capacity as well as the intelligence to hold multiple applications. This means that within the smart ID, the card's primary function would be to authenticate the card holder but could also be used as a drivers license, a banking (e-purse) card, a healthcare card and could have a range of applications added on to it at a later stage."

"The very nature of the smartcard makes it the ideal identity card as it is equipped to positively identify its authorised bearer on each occasion. Using a secret PIN or biological feature of the person introduces a process of verifying that the cardholder is the user or entity that is designated to use the card. In addition, the number of security features on the smartcard ensures that the card cannot be counterfeited (through sophisticated cryptographic card authentication methods)," he says.

"This will greatly assist all institutions, including government, who rely on positive cardholder identification to eliminate fraud and theft. South African banks alone recently reported a R4-billion loss to fraud, by using the smart ID's authentication function for individual bank customers the cost to banks will be dramatically reduced in future."

Illegal immigrants

"As well as for institutions, the smart ID will help identify illegal immigrants. The few million people that are currently living in this country illegally will not be able under normal circumstances to obtain a smart ID card, thereby making the control of illegal immigrants considerably easier for the authorities. In addition the cost and skill required to forge smart ID technology will make it almost impossible to produce a fraudulent card," he adds.

"With all this personal information available on a chip, card holders may well be concerned about the security of the information contained on the card. Smartcards allow for the introduction of security attributes for the reading or writing of data. A memory zone may be secret (the data is used for card internal management purposes only), public or sensitive.

"If sensitive, information will only be accessible after the presentation of a correct personal feature of the user. This, in almost all cases, is the PIN or a biometric feature," explains McBride. "In addition sensitive information could also be stored (encrypted) if required by the authorities.

"ICT's German shareholding companies Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) and ORGA, have been and are currently involved in a number of national ID, e-purse and drivers license projects worldwide. ICT is therefore able to offer both the technology and expertise required in the development of the smart ID, as well as the manufacturing capabilities to produce the card itself," says McBride.

For details contact Integrated Card Technology on tel: (011)608 1803.





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

The power of PKI and private sector innovation
Access Control & Identity Management News & Events Government and Parastatal (Industry)
At the recent ID4Africa 2025 Summit in Addis Ababa, the spotlight was firmly on building secure, inclusive, and scalable digital identity ecosystems for the African continent.

Read more...
Biometric security key for phishing-resistant MFA
Products & Solutions Access Control & Identity Management
New FIDO-compliant USB, Bluetooth, and NFC BioKeys with biometric login and centralised management for phishing-resistant, passwordless multifactor authentication (MFA) for enterprise users.

Read more...
Gallagher Security releases OneLink
Gallagher Animal Management Products & Solutions Access Control & Identity Management
Gallagher Security has announced OneLink, a cloud-based solution that makes it faster, easier and more cost-effective to deploy security anywhere in the world, transforming how security can be delivered to remote sites and distributed infrastructure.

Read more...
Suprema unveils BioStar Air
Suprema neaMetrics News & Events Access Control & Identity Management Infrastructure
Suprema launches BioStar Air, the first cloud-based access control platform designed to natively support biometric authentication and feature true zero-on-premise architecture. BioStar Air simplifies deployment and scales effortlessly to secure SMBs, multi-branch companies, and mixed-use buildings.

Read more...
Continuous AML risk monitoring
Access Control & Identity Management Security Services & Risk Management Financial (Industry)
AU10TIX, launched continuous risk monitoring as part of its advanced anti-money laundering (AML) solution, empowering businesses to detect behavioural anomalies and emerging threats as they arise.

Read more...
The future of security: intelligent automation
Access Control & Identity Management AI & Data Analytics IoT & Automation
As the security landscape evolves, businesses are no longer looking for stand-alone solutions, they want connected, intelligent systems that automate, streamline, and protect.

Read more...
Smart automation is changing security
SA Technologies IntelliGuard Access Control & Identity Management
Security has come a long way from manual check-ins, logbooks, and standalone surveillance cameras. With the rise of intelligent automation, security is now faster, smarter, and more connected than ever.

Read more...
The future of security in South Africa
ATG Digital Access Control & Identity Management
Security technology is evolving rapidly, but is local innovation keeping pace? Some global players recognise the potential of South African products for international markets, but can our manufacturers and service providers thrive without external support?

Read more...
Integration enhances estate access control
Access Control & Identity Management
With one-third of residential burglaries starting at the front door, the continued seamless integration of Glovent’s estate management platform with Impro access control software is welcome news for estates.

Read more...
T&A in South Africa’s retail sector
ERS Biometrics Access Control & Identity Management
Using existing systems, ERSBio provides a practical and more cost-effective way for businesses to manage operations, reduce payroll mistakes, and enhance overall efficiency through innovative T&A processes.

Read more...










While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.