Who uses Match-on-Card?
“Match-On-Card is Critical For Us”
Africa’s payment sector is growing, exploding maybe some would say. Seven years ago there were 26 ATMs in Nigeria, today there are more than 10,000. Interswitch is the company that made this possible. Using Match-on-Card technology they are looking to expand their concept across Africa.
How can I benefit from Match-on-Card?
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About Match-on-Card
Match-on-Card enables storing and matching of fingerprints on a smart card. Fingerprint recognition is the most widely accepted form of biometrics since it is considered to be non-intrusive, easy to use, well-proven and cost-efficient. Fingerprint recognition can be combined with smart cards in a so called Match-on-Card solution. Smart cards are recognized as secure tokens, from which it is virtually impossible to extract any information. Besides security, the smart card adds the benefits of portability and scalability.
As the fingerprint is both stored and matched in the secure environment of the smart card, an individual’s physical presence is guaranteed. The fingerprint does not leave the card, hence user privacy is preserved as the fingerprint information; the Match-on-Card template, is always in the user’s own control.
No database with Match-on-Card
Match-on-Card requires no database connection and thereby offers secure, off-line verification of a person. Match-on-Card removes the uncertainty of matching on a network-connected device, an external server, or a database – which could be considered weak links in a security chain.
Who uses Match-on-card?
The application areas for the Match-on-Card technology are typically Match-on-Card for National ID, Match-on-Card for Government ID, Match-on-Card for Corporate ID, Match-on-Card for bank cards and Match-on-Card for health cards.
Match-on-Card is today used for example in government programs where employees are equipped with smart cards with Match-on-Card. By replacing very complex and expensive password management with fingerprint Match-on-Card, the security of IT networks is increased and in addition vast savings are made due to Match-on-Card since IT helpdesk costs can be reduced.
Match-on-Card meets security demands
As the smart card industry grows to comprise ever more areas of application, so do demands for security. It is becoming increasingly important for card issuers and card users to avoid unauthorized use of cards. As PINs and passwords are weak links in a security system - they are often forgotten and written down or lent out – security requirement are increasingly important. Match-on-Card meets these requirements well. As only the cardholder can use the card with his or hers fingerprint in the form of a Match-on-Card template, a secure verification is assured.
How Match-on-Card works
A cardholder enrolls, registers one or more fingerprints using a fingerprint reader and smart card reader. The fingerprint information is written to and stored on the tamper-proof smart card as a Match-on-Card template, i.e. a representation of a fingerprint.
When verifying, the individual's smart card is placed in a reader and then will prompt the person to present a previously enrolled finger. The cardholder places one of his/her enrolled fingers on the fingerprint reader. The live print is read and analyzed against the Match-on-Card template in a split second.
When compared if the fingerprint from the person and the fingerprint Match-on-Card template on the card match, the identity of the cardholder has been verified. If the information does not match the enrolled Match-on-Card template, the requested action is rejected, and thanks to Match-on-Card, the true cardholder’s credentials are protected from fraud or misuse.
Among industry organizations involved in Match-on-Card you find GlobalPlatform, Eurosmart and Silicon Trust.