NXP issues DESFire8, a purely contactless IC to meet Advanced Encryption Standard
08 November, 2006
category: Contactless, NFC
NXP has announced a new contactless smart card IC, MIFARE DESFire8 designed primarily for transport projects, citizen cards and ID applications. Its advanced encryption will aid in reducing fraud and counterfeit tickets while protecting users’ privacy. Additionally, smart card solutions enabled by the new IC offer consumers the convenience of only needing one card to access multiple applications.
NXP Semiconductors, the newly independent semiconductor company founded by Philips, is introducing its new contactless smart card IC, MIFARE DESFire8, which combines advanced security features with exceptional transaction speed and greater flexibility. This latest addition to NXPs MIFARE smart card platform is the first contactless IC on the market to support the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) as well as common cryptography methods such as DES and 3DES. Due to the advanced cryptographic engines for data transmissions, service providers opting for MIFARE DESFire8 will benefit from increased security reducing fraud and counterfeit tickets. End users can also feel reassured that their privacy is well protected. Additionally, smart card solutions enabled by the new IC offer consumers the convenience of only needing one card to access multiple applications.
Designed primarily for transport schemes, citizen cards and ID applications, MIFARE DESFire8 provides an increased memory size of up to 8 Kbytes and a flexible file structure, which allows up to 28 applications to be implemented on one single card. This multi-application feature delivers enhanced comfort and usability to end-users. For instance, they can use their card for public transport, event ticketing, secure payment and access to their work place.
“Service providers such as transport operators are continuing to realize the merits of contactless smart cards, which help to speed up processes, reduce fraud and the wear and tear of infrastructure. At the same time, the cards increase ease of use for consumers by providing faster payments, shorter queues and access to a variety of services with one single card,” said Henri Ardevol, general manager smart cards, NXP Semiconductors. “With MIFARE DESFire8, we’re enabling high security smart card solutions, which enhance consumers’ privacy by providing outstanding encryption.”
NXP worked closely with leading public transportation system integrators and standardization bodies such as ITSO in the United Kingdom to create an advanced security product. “ITSO has many years of experience with the existing MIFARE product portfolio,” said Valentina Barker, Marketing Manager at ITSO. “Due to its backwards compatibility, the integration of DESFire8 into existing ITSO compliant transportation schemes should be simple while benefiting from additional security.”
The multi-application capability of MIFARE DESFire8 allows better management of the public network enabling transport operators and transport authorities to further improve their route planning as well as the deployment of additional services.
About NXP MIFARE DESFire8 technology
MIFARE DESFire8 is part of NXPs proven MIFARE contactless smartcard platform. MIFARE is in more than 750 million cards and account for an estimated 72.5% share of the market. This latest IC aims to cut ticket fraud and protect personal data by making use of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which is also known as Rijndael, a block cipher approach originally adopted as an encryption standard by the U.S. government.
The flexible file structure of MIFARE DESFire8 allows up to 28 applications on a single card, each containing up to 32 files. The product has a data rate of 848 kbps in both directions, which is the fastest transaction rate currently available. It supports UK’s Integrated Transport Smartcard Operation (ITSO) standard, the US Regional Interoperability Standard for Electronic Transit Fare Payments (RIS) and the Interoperable Public Transport Applications (IOPTA) standard, guaranteeing easy implementation worldwide.
MIFARE DESFire 8 is fully backwards compatible to current MIFARE infrastructure and therefore allows seamless integration into existing installations. Its open concept enables future integration of other ticketing media such as smart paper tickets, key fobs, and mobile ticketing based on Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.
MIFARE was invented by NXP Semiconductors and is the industry standard for contactless and dual interface smart card and reader technology operating at 13.56Mhz. Operating in full accordance with ISO 14443 – the international standard for contactless smart cards and readers – the platform consists of chip solutions for pure contactless and dual interface smart cards and reader devices. The diversity of the MIFAREâ product portfolio covers low- and high-end applications providing customers with a smart identification technology suitable for use in public transport applications and a wide array of design scenarios where physical access control is required for ID, employee and company/building access cards. For more information on MIFARE products: www.nxp.com.
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