Idesco announced that it has updated and enhanced its DESCoder software package, offering security providers and end users alike more control over their contactless access control systems.

DESCoder 2.0 now interfaces with the latest generation of contactless MIFARE readers including Access 7 C 2.0, Access 8 CD, and Access 8 CD 2.0 using a novel approach. Instead of requiring direct reader connections, DESCoder programs a secure configuration card which users can simply expose to the mounted, powered, online reader. This card triggers the reader to catalyze the configuration changes without the hassle of removing and then reinstalling the reader. 

The Dutch Ministry of Defense (MoD) has chosen Identive’s SmartFold smart card readers to provide secure remote network access for its employees.

The agency has a lot of restricted and sensitive data that has particular management requirements. The MoD felt that the Identive contact smart card reader would provide the desired level of security, yet be flexible enough to incorporate into the existing network security infrastructure. 

Visa has announced that more than 1 million EMV chip-enabled cards have been issued by U.S. financial institutions as of December 31, 2011.

Just 18 months ago there were no Visa-branded EMV chip cards issued in the U.S. according to Visa’s Stephanie Ericksen, who attributes the sudden growth to U.S. issuers accepting Visa’s EMV and mobile payments road map.

“Since announcing our road map last year, we have seen strong interest among U.S. issuers large and small to invest in chip technology, as today’s milestone shows,” said Ericksen. 

The Ralph Carr Judicial Center in Denver, Colorado has selected AMAG Technology’s Symmetry Homeland V7 Security Management System,to provide integrated access control and security management solutions from HID Global.

AMAG’s Symmetry Homeland Security Management System will integrate with 310 HID RP40 multiCLASS smart card readers, which combines HID Prox 125 kHz proximity and iCLASS 13.56 MHz credentials into a single reader. 

2012 promises to continue to advance the case for and the solutions to address the need for trusted interoperable, privacy-enhancing digital identities.

With global fraud on the order of $1 trillion – not a typo – no one really questions the important role identity plays. And this in turn drives the business case for strong authentication and trusted authorization across enterprise, e-commerce and device related applications.

So expect in 2012 to see: 

Using smart phones for online banking and shopping has been promoted as the next big thing, but adoption has been slow, partly due to the fact that smart phones have security issues. Scientific American reports that this might change with the development of quantum cryptography.

Researchers at Los Alamos National Lab have revamped quantum encryption to make it more viable for smart phone usage by developing a minitransmitter to hold the encryption key on one photon. If a hacker attempts to change the quantum information in the photon during a transaction, the transaction is cancelled. 

Diners Club Spain has chosen Gemalto to help it migrate to EMV in 2012. In this effort, Gemalto is providing consulting and personalization services to Diners Club Spain.

So far, Diners Club Spain and Gemalto have announced the availability of an approved EMV application for Diners Club. Gemalto is also providing DDA payment cards that are compliant with the Discover Financial Services D-PAS.