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Are Smart Cards More Secure Than Credit Cards?

April 9, 2009 by admin  
Filed under buy-smart-guides

A smart card is a plastic card similar to a credit or debit card except that it contains a microprocessor that can store and process information. Smart cards are considered to be more secure and adaptable than credit cards that use magnetic stripes to encode data.

The main reason that magnetic stripe credit cards are less secure than smart cards is because the data in the magnetic stripe is easily duplicated. Criminals are finding it quite easy with the help of special equipment to read, copy and change the data that is contained in the magnetic stripes. The equipment needed to do this is inexpensive and easy to operate which is why identity theft and credit card fraud is becoming so widespread.

Smart cards on the other hand are much more secure. They are often used in government departments like the US Department of Defence as access cards for secure areas and for logging in and out of computer networks. Smart cards have superior security because they require a special reader to access the data contained in the card’s microprocessor, and the cards can only be accessed by authorized users. It makes credit card fraud a lot more difficult to accomplish.

Smart cards are becoming more popular because people can use them to make purchases on the Internet from online merchants. Many people are afraid to type in their traditional credit card information online because they don’t know whether the sites are encrypted or not and worry about the security factor. Smart cards will make Internet purchases a lot more secure. The customer will use a smart card reader hooked up to the computer, and then be able to make secure purchases without having to key any card data into the website’s online forms. The information cannot be read without a password and this reduces credit card fraud significantly.

Is the smart card 100% secure? No, in fact some University of Cambridge researchers recently found an inexpensive way to extract the information contained in some popular types of smart card. Nevertheless the smart card still offers a much more secure way to make card purchases than the present methods.

Because the card is so popular in Europe, the technology is now beginning to find its way to the United States. Several credit card companies are offering smart cards to their consumers. Most new credit card processors in stores today are already equipped to accept smart cards.

Tony Trafford has been in the retail point of sale business for over 10 years. His company Rockwood Software is well-known provider of Canadian POS systems. You can find out more about Rockwood’s products and services on their POS Canada website.

Are Smart Cards More Secure Than Credit Cards?

March 9, 2009 by admin  
Filed under What's Hot

A smart card is a plastic card similar to a credit or debit card except that it contains a microprocessor that can store and process information. Smart cards are considered to be more secure and adaptable than credit cards that use magnetic stripes to encode data.

The main reason that magnetic stripe credit cards are less secure than smart cards is because the data in the magnetic stripe is easily duplicated. Criminals are finding it quite easy with the help of special equipment to read, copy and change the data that is contained in the magnetic stripes. The equipment needed to do this is inexpensive and easy to operate which is why identity theft and credit card fraud is becoming so widespread.

Smart cards on the other hand are much more secure. They are often used in government departments like the US Department of Defence as access cards for secure areas and for logging in and out of computer networks. Smart cards have superior security because they require a special reader to access the data contained in the card’s microprocessor, and the cards can only be accessed by authorized users. It makes credit card fraud a lot more difficult to accomplish.

Smart cards are becoming more popular because people can use them to make purchases on the Internet from online merchants. Many people are afraid to type in their traditional credit card information online because they don’t know whether the sites are encrypted or not and worry about the security factor. Smart cards will make Internet purchases a lot more secure. The customer will use a smart card reader hooked up to the computer, and then be able to make secure purchases without having to key any card data into the website’s online forms. The information cannot be read without a password and this reduces credit card fraud significantly.

Is the smart card 100% secure? No, in fact some University of Cambridge researchers recently found an inexpensive way to extract the information contained in some popular types of smart card. Nevertheless the smart card still offers a much more secure way to make card purchases than the present methods.

Because the card is so popular in Europe, the technology is now beginning to find its way to the United States. Several credit card companies are offering smart cards to their consumers. Most new credit card processors in stores today are already equipped to accept smart cards.

Tony Trafford has been in the retail point of sale business for over 10 years. His company Rockwood Software is well-known provider of Canadian POS systems.  You can find out more about Rockwood’s products and services on their POS Canada website.

Are Smart Cards More Secure Than Credit Cards?

March 9, 2009 by admin  
Filed under What's Hot

A smart card is a plastic card similar to a credit or debit card except that it contains a microprocessor that can store and process information. Smart cards are considered to be more secure and adaptable than credit cards that use magnetic stripes to encode data.

The main reason that magnetic stripe credit cards are less secure than smart cards is because the data in the magnetic stripe is easily duplicated. Criminals are finding it quite easy with the help of special equipment to read, copy and change the data that is contained in the magnetic stripes. The equipment needed to do this is inexpensive and easy to operate which is why identity theft and credit card fraud is becoming so widespread.

Smart cards on the other hand are much more secure. They are often used in government departments like the US Department of Defence as access cards for secure areas and for logging in and out of computer networks. Smart cards have superior security because they require a special reader to access the data contained in the card’s microprocessor, and the cards can only be accessed by authorized users. It makes credit card fraud a lot more difficult to accomplish.

Smart cards are becoming more popular because people can use them to make purchases on the Internet from online merchants. Many people are afraid to type in their traditional credit card information online because they don’t know whether the sites are encrypted or not and worry about the security factor. Smart cards will make Internet purchases a lot more secure. The customer will use a smart card reader hooked up to the computer, and then be able to make secure purchases without having to key any card data into the website’s online forms. The information cannot be read without a password and this reduces credit card fraud significantly.

Is the smart card 100% secure? No, in fact some University of Cambridge researchers recently found an inexpensive way to extract the information contained in some popular types of smart card. Nevertheless the smart card still offers a much more secure way to make card purchases than the present methods.

Because the card is so popular in Europe, the technology is now beginning to find its way to the United States. Several credit card companies are offering smart cards to their consumers. Most new credit card processors in stores today are already equipped to accept smart cards.

Tony Trafford has been in the retail point of sale business for over 10 years. His company Rockwood Software is well-known provider of Canadian POS systems.  You can find out more about Rockwood’s products and services on their POS Canada website.

Starting a Laundromat Business

March 5, 2009 by admin  
Filed under What's Hot

Starting a laundromat business may require a significant amount of initial overhead, but a laundromat is one of few businesses that will pay for itself without requiring a lot of maintenance and expenses. Upon starting a laundromat business, you’ll need to secure a piece of property with ample parking, plenty of floor space, and adequate utility hookups.

Necessary equipment will include coin operated or smart-card operated washers, dryers, and washer-extractors – washing machines that spin at very high speeds, using gravity to “extract” stains and soil in fabric. While coin-operated machines may seem antiquated and will require more work (emptying coins from machinery and refilling change machines), newer smart-card operated models (in which the customer purchases a card with a microchip in it, then buys credits from a machine that stores the balance on the card) can be expensive, and are prone to hacking (a person can purchase a smart-card reader and, through their personal computer, add to the balance on their card).

Aside from the actual washers and dryers, your laundromat will also need tables and areas for customers to sort and fold their laundry, a restroom, a large sink for hand wash-only items, a change machine (or smart-card center), and perhaps some video games and a snack machine. Starting a laundromat business should be focused on the customer: if your laundromat will be in a residential setting, have something for kids to do while their parents do the laundry; if your laundromat is in a college town, consider placing it within walking distance to campus, dorms, and other student housing.

The business will begin to pay for itself within no time. After your customer base is established, your laundromat will make money every day. And because a laundromat does not need to be attended, you are not losing money paying employees. Starting a laundromat business is a great way to ensure you’ll always have a separate, steady source of income. After initial fees for equipment, installation, etc., your only expenses will be for power, water and sewer, and the occasional repair to your equipment.

Essentially the only physical work that would need to be done in the laundromat once the business has been established is day-to-day upkeep. Most of these tasks will be fairly simple: cleaning lint screens, cleaning the restroom, and refilling the change machine if you use one. Since all of these tasks can be completed quickly and may not need to be done everyday, starting a Laundromat business is a good idea for anyone looking to start a business that doesn’t require a lot of “attention.” For anyone with the money to invest, you can be guaranteed that, if properly placed, priced, and maintained, starting a laundromat business will pay for itself, and then put money in your pocket every day. You’ll have clean clothes, too.

JD Files is an accomplished website developer and author. To learn more about starting-a-laundromat-business visit My Cleaning Franchises for current articles and discussions.

JD Files - EzineArticles Expert Author