You may have noticed that banks have increasingly started to issue payment cards including an NFC chip? At the same time, supermarkets and the like increasingly provide the opportunity for you to pay smaller amounts via contactless transfer. The new cards, in fact, contain a MIFARE signal and therefore, the same cards can be used for access control via a MIFARE reader.
New Access Possibilities
Mostly, the new payment cards mean that many will be able to do without the usual MIFARE access cards. This will be especially relevant in companies where the employees have payment cards as well as MIFARE access in the company. But apart from the fact that it is, of course, nice to have one less card to remember, the new payment cards also offer the possibility of a very safe two-way communication with the reader. This is due to the possibility of using encrypted communication via DESFire.
Encrypting Possibilities
The usual MIFARE readers just read the serial number of the MIFARE card and via the number determine whether the card grants access or not. However, the new payment cards also include encrypted information – an encryption key – which some MIFARE readers can decode and recognise. This then results in a closed-circuit system with two-way communication between the card and the reader in the same way as when the card is used for payment.
What Does Conlan Offer?
Conlan’s MIFARE/DESFire readers can be delivered including a MIFARE card for encrypted communication if desired. We have supplied this solution to a number of customers who emphasise on the extra security offered by a closed circuit system. Our standard MIFARE readers (M1000, M1200, CM1000, CM12000) have not been set up for encrypted communication, and therefore you should absolutely contact us if you want to order readers with encrypted communication. MIFARE/DESFire readers naturally come with the same beautiful design as our other readers.
