Samsung has revealed what it calls an “industry-first” all-in-one fingerprint security chip (IC) for payment cards. The S3B512C chip reads biometric information via a fingerprint sensor, stores and authenticates the data with a secure tamper-proof (SE) element, and analyzes it with a secure processor. While primarily designed for payment cards, it can also be used for “student or employee identification, membership or building access,” the company said.
Samsung
Mostly, though, the new chip could make it easier for banks and others to make biometric payment cards. The solution works in accordance with the latest Mastercard security specifications for payment cards, in addition to complying with international security standards (CC EAL 6+) for “protecting high-value assets against significant risk,” according to Samsung.
Last year, Samsung announced that it was collaborating with Mastercard on a biometric-scanning payment card with a built-in fingerprint reader. He said at the time that the technology would “adopt a new security chipset from Samsung’s LSI business” rather than using Mastercard’s technology, so the new S3B512C chipset seems to be what he was referring to.
The chip could also enable “faster and more secure interactions when shopping,” notes Samsung. It eliminates the need for a PIN code and even uses anti-spoofing technology to block fraudulent methods such as artificial fingerprints.
It seems absurd that in 2022 people are still swiping cards and signing up for purchases. Given Samsung’s manufacturing skills and clout, however, the chip has the potential to make biometric payment cards more popular. Samsung did not mention any launch customers or other details.
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