Prox Card - Secure? Maybe.

Its convenience could be its biggest weakness

Prox cards - 125kHz proximity cards are in wide use and can make access extremely convenient but they are not as secure as you might think. Increasingly, Your prox system may be providing a window of opportunity for hackers to access other cyber systems. 

When a 125kHz proximity card is powered up by getting in “proximity” of a reader, it immediately begins to transmit a fixed binary code number. As a result, it’s also possible to use a device that will trick the card into "powering on" from a distance, allowing the bad guy to read and record its internal data. The stolen information is then used via the card/reader protocol to enter a facility via the public access computer system (PACS*), potentially acting as a gateway to the company's Intranet and computer systems.
THE SOLUTION - SMART CARD TECHNOLOGY

One aspect of securing the card’s information is to make the internal numbers unusable - encrypted. To steal the access data from a card, the potential hacker needs access to the decryption key or password. This encryption is vital to keeping your data secure. Simply stated, the card's identification code is encrypted using an algorithm and a key to generate unique cipher text that cannot be viewed or read without the correct decryption key. 

Solutions based on smart card technologies such as ScholarChip can provide greatly improved physical access control as well as identification management, automated attendance, POS and a host of other services. ScholarChip's smart card technology is equal to security levels found in financial institutions and critical security areas.

ScholarChip solutions use MIFARE ISO 14443A, secure, contactless, 80/30 (credit card) plastic card as a token or key. The highly secure, UGID (Globally Unique ID) card carries only an encrypted numerical identifier - no personal information whatsoever. Cards can be issued as dual factor allowing them to work as both a proximity card and smart card ID. 

To learn more about security risks with standard Prox cards or the increased security provided by MIFARE smart card technology, please send an email to our Technical Sales Consultants or call 800-333-3608. 

*Physical Access Control System