Java Card Technology
Prepared by:Ali Toyserkani
Adopted from:
“Introduction to Java Card Technology”
C. Enrique Ortiz
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Presentation Agenda
Identify Java Card Technology
Identify Elements of Java Card
Applications
Communicating with a Java Card
Applet
Java Card Language Limitations
Questions
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Java Card?
What is a Java Card?
Simple Answer:
Java + Card = Java Card !!
Adoption of Java Platform for usage on
Smart Cards
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Smart Cards?
A smart card is a plastic
card that contains an
embedded integrated
circuit (IC)
Examples:
Our very Own T-Card!
T-Card
Credit Cards
Cell Phone SIM Cards
…
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Smart Cards are good!? How?
They store and process Information
Smart Cards Can be used to add
authentication and secure access to
information systems that require a
high level of security
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Properties of Smart Cards:
Highly secure-Tempering with one,
results in destruction of the information
it contains
Don’t contain battery- Become active
when connected with a card reader
Come in two forms Contact or Contact
less
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Contact or Contact Less?
contact smart cards
work by communicating
via physical contact
between a card reader
and the smart card
contact less smart
cards communicate by
means of a radio
frequency signal, with a
typical range of less
than 2 feet
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Now that we know Smart Cards:
How does a smart card operate?
What’s the platform used for its
operations?
What are different elements of these
smart cards?
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Elements of Java Card Application:
A complete Java Card application
consists of :
a back-end application
a host (off-card) application
an interface device (card reader )
the on-card applet
user credentials
and supporting software
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Elements of Java Card Application:
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The Back-End Application and Systems
Provide connectivity to security systems
Example:
In an electronic payment system, the back-end
application could provide access to credit card
and other payment information
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The Reader-Side
Consists of two parts:
Host Application
Card Acceptance Device
Think of a bank machine:
Host Application as the Computer that provides
interaction with the system
Card Acceptance Device being where you put
your debit card in
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The Card-Side
Elements:
One or more Java
Applets
Card’s operating System
Java Card Runtime
Environment(JCRE)
• Java Card Virtual Machine
• Java Card Framework and
APIs
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Communicating with a Java Card Applet
Two methods for communicating with
Java Card Applet:
1. Fundamental message-passing model
2. Java Card Remote Method Invocation
(JCRMI) which is a subset of J2SE RMI!
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The Message-Passing Model
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The Message-Passing Model
All Java Card applets extend the Applet base
class and must implement the install() and
process() methods
JCRE calls install() when installing the applet,
and process() every time there is an incoming
APDU for the applet
APDU: a logical data packet that's exchanged
between the CAD and the Java Card
Framework (It is considered as the center piece for
the Message-Passing Model)
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The Message-Passing Model
1. The Command APDU
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The Message-Passing Model
2. The Response APDU
The format of a response APDU is much simpler:
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The Message-Passing Model
Values for SW1, SW2(set by ISO):
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The Message-Passing Model
3. Processing APDUs
Every time there is an incoming APDU for a
selected applet:
The JCRE invokes the applet's process() method
The incoming APDU is passed as an argument
The applet must:
• parse the command APDU
• process the data
• generate a response APDU
• and return control to the JCRE
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The Java Card RMI (JCRMI)
The second communication model relies on
a subset of the J2SE RMI distributed-object
model
a server application creates and makes accessible
remote objects
a client application obtains remote references to
remote objects, and then invokes remote methods on
them.
In JCRMI, the Java Card applet is the
server, and the host application the client
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Summary of Java Card Language Limitations
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Questions?
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References:
http://developers.sun.com/techtopics/mobility/javacard/arti
cles/javacard1/
http://www.utoronto.ca/tcard/what.html
http://www.lastminute.com/lmn/pso/catalog/Category.jhtml
?CATID=99331
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Summary of Java Card Language Limitations
* http://java.sun.com/products/javacard/smartcards.html 25
Smart Card Types and Their Capabilities
Integrated Circuit (IC) Microprocessor Cards:
offer greater memory storage and security of data than a
traditional mag stripe card
Chip cards also can process data on the card.
Integrated Circuit (IC) Memory Cards.
IC memory cards can hold up to 1-4 KB of data
but have no processor
they are dependent on the card reader for their processing
Optical Memory Cards:
look like a card with a piece of a CD glued on top store up to 4
MB of data
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