NXP takes lead on security for contactless smart cards

MIFARE® DESFire8 is the world’s first purely contactless IC to meet the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)

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 with over 750 million cards issued and over six million readers installed the industry standard for contactless and dual interface smart card technology, 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 MIFARE® 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

About NXP Semiconductors

NXP is a top 10 semiconductor company founded by Philips more than 50 years ago. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company has 37,000 employees working in 20 countries across the world. NXP creates semiconductors, system solutions and software that deliver better sensory experiences in mobile phones, personal media players, TVs, set-top boxes, identification applications, cars and a wide range of other electronic devices. News from NXP is located at www.nxp.com.