Keycorp Canada Inc - Glossary of Terms

Answer To ATTRIB: A string of bytes from the card to the reader in type B contactless confirming that the communications have been initialised and the card is ready to accept APDUs

Answer To Reset (ATR): A string of characters generated by a card following a reset. It is normally a standard format specified by ISO7816.

MULTOS has the capability of generating a "dual" ATR. That is, the ATR differs in response to a warm reset and a cold reset. A cold reset is the first reset following application of power. A warm reset is a subsequent reset when power has been continually applied.

Answer To Select (ATS): A string of bytes from the card to the reader in type A contactless confirming that the communications have been initialised and the card is ready to accept APDUs.

Anti-collision: A feature of contactless cards which deals with potential conflicts at the reader caused by multiple signals competing to be read at once.

Application Load (and Delete) Certificates (ALC/ADC): used to prevent unauthorised creation or deletion of applications.

An ALC is loaded with an application to authorise the load.

ALCs and ADCs must be signed by the MULTOS KMA to be valid.

Application Load Unit (ALU): contains the code and static data of an application (minimum). The ALU can also include FCI information, a directory file entry, a KTU and an application signature.

In practice, all applications in the field will include an application signature. This prevents unauthorised tampering with the code or data of the application between the application source and loading on the card.

An ALU is specific terminology to MULTOS that basically identifies the package of data that is loaded onto the smartcard. It may be simply an application, or it may be an application with personalised data. This is an important concept because a prepersonalised application load unit can reduce manufacturing time significantly – and therefore reduce cost. (The ALU can be built in a personalisation bureau prior to cards being manufactured.)

Additional MULTOS Data (AMD): Information that is supplied by the implementer to the MULTOS KMA to create enablement data for each MULTOS implementation.

Most implementers will include the ability to add new primitives or codelets in the AMD.

These primitives or codelets will be loaded into EEPROM during enablement. In this way, additional operating system features may be added to the card after masking, but before enablement.

As primitives are native-code, it is essential that AMDs for a given implementation be controlled by the MULTOS implementer. This is because any change to native code could threaten the security of the implementation. Therefore, AMDs require Type Approval by the authority managing the MULTOS specification (MAOSCO).

Application Programming Interface (API): A set of routines that an application uses to request and carry out lower-level services performed by a computer's operating system.

Also, a set of calling conventions in programming that define how a service is invoked through the application.

MULTOS provides a standard API of instructions and primitives that is used by applications. This standard interface is specified and maintained by the MULTOS consortium. Type approval testing is performed to ensure that all MULTOS implementations provide this API consistently.

Authorisation: The establishment of privileges within a transaction.

Authentication: One of the tenets of a security system (along with non-repudiation, authorisation, authentication, and privacy), authentication is the act of establishing whether a card, terminal or individual is who they say they are. Authentication is made up of up to three factors:

What you are: ie. fingerprints, iris scan (see biometrics)
What you have: ie. smartcard, digital certificate
What you know: ie. PIN

CDA: CDA was defined in EMV2000 as a method of combining the dynamic data authentication with the application cryptogram. This mechanism provides protection against attacks on the card to terminal interface.

Codelet: a piece of MEL (MULTOS Executable Language) code that is loaded in ROM or EE memory, and which can be called by any application. It amounts to a shared library, but code only—no data. The shared code can only operate on data owned by the calling application. ROM codelets save EE memory.

Combi Card: a smartcard combining both standard contact mode (ISO7816-3) or contactless mode (ISO14443),using a single chip.

Cryptography: the science of ensuring that messages are secure. Cryptographic systems are based on the concepts of authentication, integrity, confidentiality, and non-repudiation.

DES: the most widely used secret key algorithm (56-bit key). A strengthened version of DES called triple DES ( or 3DES ) is commonly used in banks.

Digital Certificate: a file, digitally signed by a Certification Authority. There are many different types of certificates (the most common being X.509 V3).

Digital Signature: A digital signature (not to be confused with a digital certificate) is an electronic signature created using a public-key algorithm. A digital signature can be used by the recipient to authenticate the identity of the sender and to ensure the integrity of the message.

DPA: Differential Power Analysis is a security attack and is based on the analysis of the power supply current, or some other activity measure. That analysis is used to gain information about the processor activity and, from there, cryptographic keys. For more information, see Cryptography Research.

DPA resistance in Keycorp MULTOS is provided by Infineon hardware and software techniques. The MULTOS retry count (rcount) mechanism where repeated failed attempts on a security mechanism (eg, application create) will lead to that function being disabled limits information that can be gained by DPA.

Application developers should consider the use of retry counts in their applications to prevent DPA attack on application secret keys.

Contact Infineon for details on their DPA defence methods.

Dynamic Passcode Authentication: Visa’s online 2-factor authentication service, using a smart card and a dynamic passcode generator, to create one-time passwords for each transaction. It is an extension of Visa's Verified by Visa service.

EMV2000 Session Key Derivation: Optional in the EMV2000 specification, the session key derivation is intended to protect against statistical attacks such as DPA (Differential Power Analysis).

Hybrid Card: a 2-chip solution where a standard chip is used for the contact interface (usually running EMV applications) and a second chip provides contactless functionality (usually a Mifare chip for existing transit or access control systems).

Initialization: First stage of the card issuing process. The goal of this process is to load all the data common to one application into the smart card's EEPROM.

Key: a value used with a cryptographic algorithm to encrypt (or sign data). The longer the key, the more secure the encryption.

Key Transformation Unit (KTU): part of the application load unit (ALU). The KTU contains information that allows the decryption of secret parts of the ALU code or data. The KTU is itself encrypted using the card-specific public key.

The card-specific key for any card can be obtained from the MAOSCO CA or from the response to any open command to the card. The KTU allows application confidentiality.

Mask: A program written to the chips’ ROM during manufacture, which usually contains the operating system.

Multi-application: the ability to house more than one application at once and keep them securely separated.

MULTOS: an open high-security multi-application operating system for smartcards. Its key features are high security architecture, ability to co-house multiple, independent applications securely and its ability to remotely load and delete applications throughout the lifecycle of the card.

MChip: Mastercard's implementation of EMV.

Non-Repudiation: Proof of delivery between sender and receiver in cryptographic systems.

Non-Volatile Memory: A type of memory that is able to retain its contents whether the power is switched on or not. See EEPROM.

Off-Line: A transaction which is processed without needing to be connected to a central network.

On-Line: A transaction which is made when there is a direct connection to the central network.

Open System/Platform: A system which is open to any developer (provided they comply with certain privacy and protection agreements) to work on. This allows multiple suppliers to be available for any given product. See MULTOS.

Operating System (OS): The operating system is the layer of software which facilitates communication with the hardware. It is similar to the operating system on a PC (such as Windows XP or OSX) in that it allows different applications to utilise the facilities of the chip in a consistent and optimised manner.

Personalisation: Personalisation is the process during which a smart card is modified to contain the information specific for an application, which may include personal details for each individual cardholder.

Graphical personalisation modifies the visual aspect of the card (holder's name, photograph).

Electronic personalisation modifies the information in the card's chip.

POS Terminal (Point Of Sale Terminal): POS terminals (in comparison to central terminal) are handheld or desktop devices that can conduct transactions with smart or mag-stripe cards.

Privacy: The act of ensuring that only the authorised participants in a transaction know the details of the transaction. This may also include letting all the participants know a transaction has occurred.

Public Key Encryption: a cryptographic system that uses two different keys (public and private) for encrypting and signing data. The most well-know public key algorithm is RSA.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): an automated key management system for the secure generation, maintenance and delivery of encryption and digital signature keys, using Asymmetric (or Key Pair) technology.

The components of a PKI are:

Certificate Authority: trusted database that allows keys to be generated and maintained
Public Directory Service: directory to enable users to locate Public Certificates
Client software: application to enable users to interface with the PKI
Policies and procedures: rules governing the use of the PKI

The primary product of a PKI is a pair of digital certificates: one for encryption/decryption; one for signing/verification. The certificates contain information such as: name of certificate owner; name of the authority issuing the certificate; period certificate is valid for.

PPS (or PTS): PPS (protocol selection) is the ability of a card to respond to a protocol type selection (PTS) command which follows an ATR. If a card allows, a PPS command can change communications parameters such as baud rate.

Note: PPS and PTS are equivalent terms from different versions of the ISO7816 specifications. The term PPS is now the most current form of expression, rather than PTS.

Graphical personalisation modifies the visual aspect of the card (holder's name, photograph).

Electronic personalisation modifies the information in the card's chip.

Primitives: a set of library functions provided within the MULTOS API.

Instructions are single operations while primitives are OS supported functions. MULTOS provides applications with primitives to perform DES, 3DES, RSA encryption and decryption, RSA CRT exponentiation, SHA-1, and random number generation amongst others. These primitives can be used by applications to implement the digital signature and verification mechanisms that are required in most secure smart card applications.

RAM (Random Access Memory): A working memory, or scatchpad, used by the microprocessor in a smart card. It is volatile, meaning that when the power is removed, the contents are lost.

Reader: A device used to communicate with the smartcard to read the information contained on it. A reader is unable to write new cards or modify details on old cards.

Retry counter: used to prevent repeated attacks on the card.

RSA ( Rivest – Shamir – Adleman ): RSA is the most widely used public key encryption algorithm, named after its creators.

SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1): Originally developed by the NSA, SHA-1 is a hash algorithm commonly used in security applications and protocols.

Smartcard (Smart Card): Sometimes called an IC card or chip card, a smartcard is a plastic card with a chip (or module) implanted into it.

Terminal: Any device that can communicate with a smart card (e.g., reader, coupler…). Certain terminals can operate in standalone mode, while others must be connected to a central information system to access an application.

Transaction: An agreement involving payment for the exchange of goods and/or services.