Java Card or How to Cope with the New Security Issues Raised by Open Cards?

In this paper, we aim to discuss various threats raised by Java Cards at various levels of the system. First, we address the Java Card platform security itself, from the chip security features to the Java Card virtual machine. Next, we expose how to deal with application security which is a standard problem for smart card manufacturers but a quite new one for third party Java developers beginning to code Java Card applets. We also present the security o#ered by the card environment, i.e., how to securely download code on cards. Finally, we highlight the security issues coming from objects sharing inside the card and we present a few hints to prevent faults in smart card software.