Abstract

The smart card (or integrated-circuit card) is the culmination of a technological evolution starting from cards with bar codes and magnetic strip cards. Even though their rates of penetration vary among countries, the interest that they raise is undeniable, because they offer storage and signal-processing capabilities that allow complex decisions. Nowadays, smart cards or microprocessors can be found in payment applications, in electronic purses, in client-fidelity programs, as well as in access controls to physical sites, to computer networks, and to pay TV.