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What is the difference between a smart card and a Hardware Security Module (HSM) solution?
Smart Card :
- Requires attended operation and manual supervision of the connection, i.e. the smart card has to stay in the reader at all times during transmission and then removed. Every smart card reader is attached to a specific PC
- Each smart card must be signed for, used by and assigned to a named individual, i.e. one card per contact with no 'departmental' cards. When deciding on the number of card-holding contacts you require take into account contingencies for leave, working off-site, sickness or loss situations. Having multiple payment points, authorisations, payment applications and banks will normally result in the need for more contacts (allow a minimum of two contacts per type of use)
- Submission contact must be able to view the details of individual payments during signing process
- 'Dies’ when the certificate expires
- Is as secure as its owner keeps it
- Has no need for Key Management Standard as the sponsoring bank manages this for you.
HSM:
- Supports unattended operation and so can provide complete automation
- Uses one HSM per organisation (although a second unit may be used for resilience)
- Outlives certificates
- Is as secure as its environment
- Is an Industry regulated Key Management Standard.
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