Samsung unveils all-in-one fingerprint security chip for biometric cards

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics has introduced a new all-in-one fingerprint authentication integrated circuit (IC) made of a single chip for biometric authentication cards. This can help biometric card manufacturers reduce the number of chips required in their design.

The S3B512C security chip combines three key functions into a single chip. It reads biometric information through a fingerprint sensor, stores and authenticates data with a tamper-proof secure element (SE) and analyzes, processes data with a secure processor. 

The IC is certified to EMVCo and Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level (CC EAL) 6+ and Samsung says that this industry’s first all-in-one security chip is in line with Mastercard’s latest Biometric Evaluation Plan Summary (BEPS) specifications for biometric payment cards for the protection of high-value assets against significant risks.

The fingerprint data is encrypted and stored in a SE that is equipped with a proprietary fingerprint authentication algorithm while the anti-spoofing technology is capable of preventing unauthorized users from circumventing the security system with methods like artificial fingerprints.

Without the need for a PIN that can be compromised, the biometric payment card will be faster and more secure. It also prevents misuse of lost or stolen cards for fraudulent, unauthorised payments as it requires a physical verification fingerprint. Although it’s designed mainly for payment cards, Samsung said that it can also be used in cards that require highly secured authentications like student or employee identification, membership or building access.