Which of the following is a credit card-sized device used to securely store personal information and used in
conjunction with a PIN number to authenticate users?
Correct Answer: D
A smart card is a credit card-sized device used to securely store personal information such as certificates,
public and private keys, passwords, etc. It is used in conjunction with a PIN number to authenticate users. In
Windows, smart cards are used to enable certificate-based authentication. To use smart cards, Extensible
Authentication Protocol (EAP) must be configured in Windows.
Answer option B is incorrect. Java Card is a technology that allows Java-based applications to be run securely
on smart cards and small memory footprint devices. Java Card gives a user the ability to program devices and
make them application specific. It is widely used in SIM
cards and ATM cards. Java Card products are based on the Java Card Platform specifications developed by
Sun Microsystems, a supplementary of Oracle Corporation. Many Java card products also rely on the global
platform specifications for the secure management of applications on the card. The main goals of the Java
Card technology are portability and security.
Answer option A is incorrect. Proximity card (or Prox Card) is a generic name for contactless integrated circuit
devices used for security access or payment systems. It can refer to the older 125 kHz devices or the newer
13.56 MHz contactless RFID cards, most commonly known as contactless smartcards. Modern proximity cards
are covered by the ISO/IEC 14443 (Proximity Card) standard. There is also a related ISO/IEC 15693 (Vicinity
Card) standard. Proximity cards are powered by resonant energy transfer and have a range of 0-3 inches in
most instances. The user will usually be able to leave the card inside a wallet or purse. The price of the cards is
also low, usually US$2-$5, allowing them to be used in applications such as identification cards, keycards,
payment cards and public transit fare cards.
Answer option C is incorrect. Secure Digital (SD) card is a non-volatile memory card format used in portable
devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and handheld computers. SD cards are based on the older
MultiMediaCard (MMC) format, but they are a little thicker than MMC cards. Generally an SD card offers a
write-protect switch on its side. SD cards generally measure 32 mm x 24 mm x 2.1 mm, but they can be as thin
as 1.4 mm. The devices that have SD card slots can use the thinner MMC cards, but the standard SD cards
will not fit into the thinner MMC slots. Some SD cards are also available with a USB connector. SD card
readers allow SD cards to be accessed via many connectivity ports such as USB, FireWire, and the common
parallel port.