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Title: Get Smart : The Emergence of Smart Cards in the United States and their Pivotal Role in Internet Commerce by Chuck Wilson ISBN: 0967446058 Publisher: Mullaney Corporation Pub. Date: 01 June, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 5
Rating: 5
Summary: Essential reading for all entrepreneurs
Comment: In Get Smart: The Emergence Of Smart Cards In The United States And Their Pivotal Role In Internet Commerce, Chuck Wilson provides the first practical and comprehensive survey of "smart" credit cards and how they can be utilized in the reader's business activities and personal life. Wilson draws upon his more than twenty years of experience and expertise in the credit card processing services industry to write a thoroughly "reader friendly" compendium packed with information and insights into the coming wave of smart card-based applications at home and abroad -- with special attention to the rapidly expanding and borderless phenomena of e-commerce. Get Smart is essential reading for all entrepreneurs, business managers, corporate officers, economists, and credit card users.
Rating: 5
Summary: Filled with amazing facts and rich with possibilities
Comment: Prior to receiving this book as a gift the sum of what I knew about smart cards was: I had one in my GSM cell phone that allowed me to switch to a new phone by removing the card from my old one and inserting it into the new one (a major convenience because my friends with CDMA and TDMA cell phones had to jump through hoops). I also knew my access card to the building in which I worked was a smart card that contained a lot of information about who I was, when I could enter the building and to which areas I could access, and I had seen Sun's Blade 100 workstations integrated smart card reader that identified and authenticated users and allowed them to move from one workstation to another and resume their sessions.
After reading this book I feel like a whole new world of possibilities have opened. First, Chuck Wilson, the author is a talented writer who possesses the ability to make a rather mundane subject fascinating. He starts with a history of smart cards and proceeds to show how versatile these devices are. I quickly learned that smart cards are much more than a security device or convenient way to carry a lot of data in a small form factor the size of a credit card. For example, the possibilities of these devices as an alternative to credit cards where debits can be made using the logic on the card itself is mind boggling. It doesn't take a leap of imagination to see how a smart card could one day replace cash. Of course there are some hurdles that must be overcome, and Mr. Wilson provides a thorough discussion of them and some of the ways that they can be overcome. A surprise was the growing use of smart cards outside of the United States and some of the reasons why they are slow to catch on here.
Among the chapters I enjoyed (probably because I'm such a geek) were: chapter 3, which delved into the technology and chapter 6, which focused on security with respect to e-commerce. This chapter gives a clear description of the underlying security infrastructure. I also enjoyed chapter 8, which covered biometrics and how smart cards could be used in conjunction with that technology to provide a high level of security.
It's been a long time since I've read a technical book that was fun to read, informative and addressed business and technical issues. More importantly, though, is how applicable smart cards are to information systems from the standpoint of security and an enabler of e-commerce; and their equal importance to business as a means to prevent fraud and provide consumers with a convenient and safe alternative to cash and credit cards. This book earns my highest recommendation to technical and business professionals and 5 stars.
Rating: 5
Summary: Wide survey of business and technical aspects - well written
Comment: This book is a comprehensive, exceptionally well-written compendium devoted to smart cards as a technology, as component of a security infrastructure and as the foundation of a business strategy. As such it touches upon facts and issues that will be of interest to a wide and diverse audience.
Mr. Wilson starts with an engaging chapter on the emergence of smart cards as a business opportunity, and makes a compelling case for why this technology is a sensible solution. The facts and statistics associated with the opportunity should have executives drooling because these devices have proven themselves as a payment medium that is fraud resistant all over the globe. His next chapter on deploying smart cards in the U.S. is a sobering discussion of the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. The main barrier to deployment as a monetary instrument in the United States is the massive investment in existing credit card infrastructure: readers, etc. However, there are opportunities that might outweigh the barriers.
The smart card primer that follows is easy to read and requires no technical background. Technical and business oriented readers will find this chapter equally interesting. The real meat of this book, though, is in chapters 4 through 6, which cover smart card applications (a complete survey of what is possible with smart cards), stored value cards (including a frank discussion of successes and failures and the companies behind this approach), and internet commerce (a highly readable description of the technical underpinnings of security and how smart cards fit within the infrastructure). Chapter 7 covers existing standards, who is driving them, and what needs to be accomplished in order to achieve interoperability.
I was surprised to find a chapter devoted to biometrics. However, Mr. Wilson set the context by covering the four basic security categories for authorizing access (something you have, something you know, something you are or something you do). The "something you are", such as a measurement of one or more physical characteristics, is where biometrics can play a role. Like the preceding chapters the discussions were informative and exceptionally well written.
The book ends with a cogent and articulate chapter on implications for privacy.
Among the many things I like about this book are: it's thorough in that the author touches upon every conceivable issue associated with smart cards, it's honest because the author shares both the strengths and weaknesses of this technology and how it fits within the frameworks of business opportunities, security and privacy, and it's written in an engaging style that makes it a pleasure to read. Moreover, the book has something for everyone: it sparks ideas for marketing and business strategists, explains how this technology can be used to IT/IS professionals (especially those who have to devise safe solutions for e-payments, shows fraud managers the power and value of smart cards, and provides security professionals with solid information on an important security tool. For the latter two groups I strongly recommend augmenting this book with Secrets & Lies by Bruce Schneier, which provides shows a chilling scenario in chapter 11 of that book on how smart cards can be compromised, as well as eight threats and attacks against smart cards in chapter 14.
This is a five star book written by a talented writer and authoritative expert. It has my highest recommendation.
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Title: Smart Card Handbook, 2nd Edition by W. Rankl, W. Effing ISBN: 0471988758 Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Pub. Date: 18 September, 2000 List Price(USD): $155.00 |
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Title: Smart Cards: Seizing Strategic Business Opportunities by Catherine A. Allen, William J. Barr, Ron Schultz, Smart Card Forum ISBN: 0786311088 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Trade Pub. Date: 01 October, 1996 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: Paying with Plastic: The Digital Revolution in Buying and Borrowing by David Evans, Richard Schmalensee ISBN: 0262550377 Publisher: MIT Press Pub. Date: 28 August, 2000 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: Smart Cards: The Developer's Toolkit by Timothy M. Jurgensen, Scott B. Guthery, Scott Guthery, Tim Jurgensen ISBN: 0130937304 Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR Pub. Date: 09 July, 2002 List Price(USD): $44.99 |
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Title: RFID Handbook : Fundamentals and Applications in Contactless Smart Cards and Identification by Klaus Finkenzeller ISBN: 0470844027 Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $125.00 |
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