computer science

Smart card management system

Smart card management system is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Smart card management system rather than just read about it. In short: A Smart Card Management System (SCMS) is a system for managing smart cards through the life cycle of the smart cards. Thus, the system can issue the smart cards, maintain the smart cards while in use and finally take the smart cards out of use (EOL).

Key takeaways

Smart card management system belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Smart card management system to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Smart card management system from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A Smart Card Management System (SCMS) is a system for managing smart cards through the life cycle of the smart cards. Thus, the system can issue the smart cards, maintain the smart cards while in use and finally take the smart cards out of use (EOL). Chip/smart cards provide the foundation for secure electronic identity, and can be used to control access to facilities, networks or computers. As the smart cards are security credentials for authenticating the smart card holder (for example using two-factor authentication) the security requirements for a smart card management system are often high and therefore the vendors of these systems are found in the computer security industry. Smart card management systems are generally implemented as software applications. If the system needs to be accessible by more than one operator or user simultaneously (this is normally the case) the software application is often provided in the form of a server application accessible from several different client systems. An alternative approach is to have multiple synchronized systems. Smart card management systems connect smart cards to other systems. Which systems the smart card management system must connect to depends on the use case for the smart cards. Typical systems to connect to include:

Connected smart card reader Unconnected (RFID) smart card reader Card printer User directory Certificate authority Identity provider Hardware security module Physical access control systems To make a smart card a valid authenticator, it needs to be holding a credential that identifies the smart card holder. There are many different types of credentials, with different features and authenticator assurance levels. It is the smart card management system that typically generates and maintains the credentials. Examples of credentials that are suitable for use with smart cards:

Asymmetric keys, for example PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) or FIDO2 (specified by FIDO Alliance) keys Symmetric keys, for example EMV keys OTP (One-time password) generators Password managers During the smart card lifecycle, the smart card is changing state (examples of such states include issued, blocked and revoked), the process of taking a smart card from one state to another, is the main responsibility of a smart card management system. Different smart card management systems call these processes by different names. Below a list of the most widely used names of the processes are listed and briefly explained:

Register – adding a smart card to the smart card management system Issue – issuing or personalizing the smart card for a smart card holder Initiate – activating the smart card for first use by the smart card holder Deactivate – putting the smart card on hold in the backend system Activate – reactivating the smart card from a deactivated state Lock – also called block; smart card holder access to the smart card is not possible Unlock – also called unblock; smart card holder access to the smart card is re-enabled Revoke – credentials on the smart card are made invalid Retire – the smart card is disconnected from the smart card holder Delete – the smart card is permanently removed from the system Unregister – the smart card is removed from the system (but could potentially be reused) Backup - Backup smart card certificates and selected keys Restore - Restore smart card certificates and selected keys

Notes

References Schneier, Bruce (1996). "Applied Cryptography," John Wiley & Sons Inc. Rankl, Wolfgang & Effing, Wolfgang (2003). "Smart Card Handbook," John Wiley & Sons Ltd Wilson, Chuck (2001). "Get Smart," Mullaney Publishing Group Hansche, Susan & Berti, John & Hare Chris (2004). "Official (ISC)2 guide to the CISSP exam," Auberbach Publications Smart Card Industry Glossary from Smart Card Alliance

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Smart card management system

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Smart card management system claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Smart card management system before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Smart card management system ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Smart card management system

In research: Smart card management system appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Smart card management system in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Smart card management system is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer network security, Public-key cryptography, Smart cards, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Smart card management system outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Smart card management system in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Smart card management system means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Smart card management system out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Smart card management system in simple terms?

Why does Smart card management system matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Smart card management system?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Smart card management system.