Is smart card data safe? How to prevent information leakage and stolen?

Smart cards (such as RFID cards, NFC cards, IC cards) have been widely used in access control, payment, identity identification and other scenarios, but many customers are worried: "Will the card information be copied? Will the data be leaked?" As a source manufacturer of smart card customization, we answer core security questions for you from technical principles to protective measures and provide practical anti-theft brushing solutions.

1. Is smart card safe? First look at the technology type

The security of a smart card depends on the chip type and data storage method:

- Low safety scenario: Normal IC card/magnetic stripe card (easy to copy)

· Magnetic stripe cards (such as early bank cards): Data is stored plain text on magnetic stripes and can be easily cloned with the "magnetic card copyer" (high risk and has been phased out).

· Ordinary IC cards (logical encryption cards): There is simple encryption, but some low-end cards can be cracked through technical means (such as bus cards and simple access control cards).

- High security scenario: CPU card/encrypted RFID card (difficult to copy)

· CPU cards (such as financial IC cards, high-end membership cards): built-in microprocessor, supports dynamic encryption operations, and generates a unique key for each transaction (bank-level security, almost impossible to copy)

· Encrypted RFID cards (such as hotel room cards, enterprise access control cards): Use 13.56MHz high-frequency chip + encryption algorithm (such as DES/3DES/AES), and the data needs to be matched to the key to be read (ordinary devices cannot crack).

✅ Conclusion: Ordinary cards are risky, but choosing smart cards with encryption chip + dynamic keys (such as CPU cards, high-security RFID cards) are close to financial level!

2. How to prevent information leakage from smart cards?

- Chip-level encryption: data "locked"

· The chip storage area of high-security smart cards is divided into "public area" and "secret area". Sensitive information (such as identity ID, permission key) is stored in an encrypted confidential area. Only authorized devices (such as access card readers) can access it through the key.

· Using international standard encryption algorithms (such as AES-128), even if the card is physically disassembled, data cannot be restored without a key.

- Dynamic verification: Every interaction is “coded”

· Some high-end cards (such as CPU cards) support "dynamic key" technology - every time you swipe the card, the card and the card reader will generate temporary encryption codes, which are valid for a single time (similar to dynamic passwords), preventing card information from being intercepted and reused after being re-used.

- Unique code: Each card has different "id card"

· The chip of each smart card has a world-unique serial number (UID). The backend system can bind specific user information (such as employee ID and member account). Even if the card is lost, permissions can be quickly locked.

3. How to prevent stolen fraud? 3 practical protection measures

- Select the right card type: Use high-security chips according to the scene

· Access control/attendance: Select an encrypted RFID card (13.56MHz, AES encryption) to avoid low-frequency (125kHz) easy to copy ID cards.

· Payment/Identity Authentication: It must use a CPU card (such as the financial IC card standard), which supports dynamic encryption and multi-factor authentication.

· Temporary card/guest card: Set a short validity period (such as 1 day), and expires automatically expire.

- Management background control: real-time monitoring + permission recovery

· Through the smart card management system, differentiated permissions are assigned to different users (such as "only open the designated door" and "limited time pass"). After the employee leaves or the visitor leaves, the card permissions will be cancelled in one click in the background.

· Record each card swipe data (time, place, card ID), and automatically alert for abnormal behaviors (such as frequent door opening in the middle of the night).

- Anti-copying for daily use

· Avoid keeping the card close to mobile phones or strong magnetic field devices for a long time (which may interfere with the chip).

· If the card is found to be abnormal (if the door is not authorized to open), contact the management party immediately to freeze the permissions and replace the new card.

Summary

The security of the smart card itself depends on the chip type and management method - ordinary cards are risky, and encryption cards are very secure! If your business involves access control, payment or sensitive data management, it is recommended to choose a combination of high security chips (CPU card/encrypted RFID card) + management system control.

If you have any smart card customization needs, please feel free to inquire!We will provide a full-process security solution from chip selection to encrypted writing based on your specific scenarios (such as corporate access control, campus cards, and member payments), to ensure that the data is "safely stored and used with confidence".