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The introduction of smart cards to information technology is probably the most exciting change in digital history. Smart cards and other systems using a security microcontroller will be the key to access and the exchange of digital data over the Internet.

Smart cards are credit card-sized plastic cards with an embedded computer chip, subscriber identity module (SIM) cards within mobile devices, or designed to plug directly into Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports on personal computers.

The chip allows a single card to be programmed to do many things, such as be a credit card, handle electronic cash, store medical data, access satellite TV, pay for telephone calls and bus fare, and so on. Old applications can be deleted, and new applications can be downloaded onto a smart card at a later date. The chip itself is designed to be tamper-proof, and information stored on the card can protect itself from theft, forgery or duplication.

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