Glossary

Terms

Definitions

ABS

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene: a type of plastic used to produce card body

ADN

Abbreviated Dialling Number

AES

Advanced Encryption Standard

Algorithm

A sequence of logical steps to perform a computation

ANSI

American National Standards Institute

APDU

Application Protocol Data Unit: A command sent from the interface device to the smart card or vice versa.

API

Application Programming Interface

Applet

A Java based software

Application

A software that performs functions on the Smart Card and in a computer

ATM

Automated Teller Machine, a device that allows a card holder to do basic banking operations.

ATR

Answer To Reset, It is the response of the card when it is powered up or reset. It gives information on the card.

Authentication

The Process proving the identity of the person, or of the card.

Biometrics

Identification and authentication techniques based on the physical characteristics of a person such as fingerprints, hand geometry, retina scan or voice print.

Bit

Binary Digit, a digit number in binary numbering, one or zero.

Bluetooth

A radio technology that is being developed to communicate for distances up to ten meters, wireless connections.

Bps

Bits-Per-Second: data transmission speed

Byte

An 8 bit word to represent a single character.

CA

Certification Authority. An authority within a public key cryptographic system that issues certificates and takes liability associated with the validity of the holder's.

CDMA

Code Division Multiple Access, a wireless communications technology.

CEN

European Standardisation Commission

Certificate

A file digitally signed by a CA, for ex. X.509

CHV

Card Holder Value (PIN)

Cipher Text

Text that has been encrypted

Combi Card

A card with contact and contactless technology.

Contact

A point of electrical connection between a smart card and its external interface device.

Contactless Card

A contactless card is a smart card which communicates wirelessly with the reader and therefore has no direct contact for data exchange.

CPU

Central Processing Unit

Cryptogram

Data exchanged in a secure manner

Cryptographic Key

Used to encrypt or decrypt a message

Cryptography

The science of ensuring that messages are secure. Cryptographic systems are based on the concept of authentication, integrity, confidentiality and non-repudiation.

DES

Data Encryption Standard, a symmetric encryption algorithm

Digital Signature

An electronic signature created using a public-key algorithm to establish the authenticity of the identity of the sender and to ensure the integrity of the message.

E-cash

Digital money stored in a bank account or on a smart card.

eCommerce

Electronic commerce. Business that is conducted over an electronic network where the purchaser and merchant are not at the same physical location

EEPROM

Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory

Electronic Purse

Smart card that stores electronic money.

Electronic Signature

A signature related to the document or data that has been signed.

Embedding

Process of placing the chip module in the cavity of a plastic card.

EMV

Europay - Mastercard - Visa

Embossing

Characters in relief on the surface of a card.

Encryption

Transferring information based on a key to make it intelligible only to unauthorized parties.

ETS

European Telecommunications Standard

ETSI

European Telecommunication Standards Institute

External Authentication

The procedure to authenticate the external world to the card

FDN

Fixed Dialling Number

GPRS

General Packet Radio Service, a packet-base telecommunication technology

GSM

Global System for Mobile Communication, an European standard for digital cellular telephones that has now been widely adopted throughout the world.

Hash

Message digest

Hologram

An optical image that looks three-dimensional to the naked eye

IC

Integrated Circuit, Chip.

ICC

Integrated Circuit Card, smart card.

ID Card

Card identifying both the bearer and the issuer.

IMSI

International Mobile Subscriber Identity

Initialization

First stage of the card issuing process.

IP

Internet Protocol

IP address

Internet Protocol address

IPSEC

A protocol that provides security for transmission of sensitive information over networks

ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network

ISO

International Standards Organization

ITSEC

ITSEC (Information Technology Security Evaluation Criteria) is a set of criteria adopted to evaluate the security of software and computer components.

Java

A programming language by Sun

JCF

Java Card Forum

KB

Kilo Bytes

Kc

Cryptographic Key

Ki

Subscriber Authentication Key

LAN

Local Area Network

Lifecyle

The time between the issuance of a smart card and its expiration

Magnetic Stripe

The strip of magnetic recording material on a card.

ME

Mobile Equipment

Memory Card

Cards with read/write capability of data.

MIME

Multipurpose Internet Multimedia Extension, an Internet protocol to send e-mail

MF

Master file

Microprocessor Card

Cards with memory capacity and integrated microcontroller able to execute entire programs

Mobile Telecommunications

Telecommunications by means of wireless devices.

Module

The component formed of a chip and a contact plate to protect the chip in a chip card from external threads and to electronically connect the chip with devices. It is embedded in a cavity in the card body.

MS

Mobile Station

OS

Operating System

OTA

Over the Air

PCMCIA

Personal Computer Memory Card International Association

Personalization

Printing, encoding and programming a card with data of a cardholder.

PIN

Personal Identification Number

PKCS

Public Key Cryptography Standard

PKI

Public Key Infrastructure

POS

Point of Sale

Public Key

Encryption algorithm that uses both a public and a private key for signing and encrypting data.

PUK

PIN Unblocking Key

PVC

Polyvinyl Chloride

RAM

Random Access Memory

RAND

Random Number

RNG

Random Number Generator

ROM

Read Only Memory

RSA

Rivest-Shamir-Adleman, Public key encryption algorithm

SAM

Security Access Module

SET

Secure Electronic Transaction

SIM

Subscriber Identification Module

Smart Card

A chip or memory card formed by a plastic body with a chip embedded in it.

SMS

Short Message Service

SRES

Sign Response

SSL

Secure Sockets Layer

Terminal

A device that allows reading and sending information to smart cards.

TMSI

Temporary Mobile Telecommunications System

Transponder

An electronic transmitter that is able to transfer data to a reader by means of a radio frequency signal.

UICC

Universal Integrated Chip Card

UMTS

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, a third-generation (3G) system to offer broadband communication over mobile communications networks.

USIM

Universal Subscriber Identity Module

USSD

Unstructured Supplementary Service Data

VOP

Visa Open Platform

VPN

Virtual Private Network

WAN

Wide Area Network

WAP

Wireless Application Protocol

Windows

Operating system developed by Microsoft

X.509

A communication protocol

Zigbee

Suite of high level communication protocols using small, low-power digital radios based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard

2G

2nd Generation

3G

3rd generation: mobile technology that combine high-speed voice, data and multimedia

3GPP

Groupthat produce specification for 3G