PROTECT YOUR INTELLECTUAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTY USING MIFARE® DESFIRE® EV2 TECHNOLOGY...

Are you an access control provider? If so, today’s article is a must-read.

First up, let’s define what we mean by intellectual property.

The typical definition of IP is an idea that somebody has created, that the law prevents other people from copying. In this case, we’ll be discussing the rules of smart card encryption.  

The IP in this instance is going to be the secure data encryption keys, number range and facility codes that you provide to your client for their secure site. These are going to be the key elements that allow you to protect this from criminal activity and your direct competition. 

Now let’s get into it. 

In the access control industry, there is a strong possibility that the IP and data of your smart cards have/or are going to be compromised. If you are an access control provider, pick any of your “secure sites”, send us a card and let us test it. If you are using unprotected, unsecured cards, we can supply these. Doesn’t that seem like you are potentially shooting yourself in the foot, leaving yourself vulnerable to competition and not retaining control of your access system? 

Unfortunately, it is becoming more common for the systems that we once relied on for security to become outdated due to technological advances. So, what is the solution? Read on as we discuss a great way to solve this problem using MIFARE DESFire EV2 technology!

SECURE YOUR IP USING AES

As an access control provider, you will know how vital it is that no competitor gains access to the details of a card you are supplying to a client. If this were to happen, your business could lose its clients to competitors, or worse, suffer a massive breach in security for your client.

MIFARE DESFire Technology eliminates this scenario by utilizing a feature called AES encryption. Knowing the key details of this card, such as AES encryption, gives you the ability to access incredibly smart ways to secure your IP. AES encryption works on 128 bits and is used heavily in government buildings to secure the data of a card and the communication between card and reader. This means that every transaction made between card and reader is unique and cannot be replicated by anyone. 

The real solution here is securing the data in your card and ensuring your master keys are kept secret and encrypted. By using AES levels of encryption, it is theoretically impossible to read these keys, ensuring your site is safe and secure. 

UTILIZING DESFIRE EV2 TECHNOLOGY

One of the latest features included within MIFARE DESFire EV2 cards is the ability to delegate memory. Now I hear you say, how is this going to improve my security and protect my IP? 

The typical use case for this would be to share the memory with 3rd party partners when providing an installation. For example, your end-user client wants an access control system, a cashless catering solution, and print management. Traditionally on previous iterations of MIFARE DESFire EV2, these 3rd party partners would need to either use the UID of the card, or you would need to provide them with your master key. This would compromise the security of your application and could potentially lead to these 3rd parties removing your application from the card.  

  

This technology also is scalable, MIFARE DESfire EV2 comes in a variety of memory sizes (2k, 4k, 8k, 16k, and 32k) meaning that it can unfailingly accommodate your increased need for secure data as it grows with your business. 

Speed is the name of the game in 2020, and MIFARE DESFire EV2 has you covered. With a faster read time than other contactless card technologies, this allows for a more rapid flow of people to reduce bottlenecks and congestions. 2 seconds may not seem a long time in isolation, but let’s look at the London Underground, 1 billion journeys are made each year if each transaction was an addition 2 seconds, you’re looking at 555,555 additional hours spent queuing. You probably wouldn’t miss your train in the UK though, but in other countries, this would have an alarming effect. 

FUTURE-PROOF YOUR SECURITY

Security needs to be consistently impenetrable for it to be effective, and so we need to be able to rely on future-proof technology. That’s where MIFARE DESFire EV2 technology comes in, it’s a future proof solution that can offer your business unmatched levels of security to protect yourselves from fraud and other crimes. MIFARE DESFire EV2 offers you a state-of-the-art way to secure your building and in turn, secure your intellectual property. 

If there is anything to take away from this, it should be “Secure your IP using AES”, this is the real solution, especially for card providers in the access control industry. It is an investment that gives back to your business… and although we could talk even more about the great benefits and how it surpasses other security technologies due to advanced features, why not see it for yourself at one of our secure sites.

Contact a member of the team at Universal Smart Cards, and we’ll be more than happy to have a quick chat about whether the technology could make a real difference to your business. And remember, if you know of anybody looking to secure their intellectual property to a further extent - please share this article!