A smart card based student card system

M.Sc.A Smart Card looks like a normal plastic card that we use every day, but its capabilities and advantages are huge. Inside the card there is a small microprocessor capable of doing operations on data. With memory available on the card, data can be stored in a safe and secure location. This card can be used for various applications and is a big improvement on all of its predecessors. These applications can be anything from SIM cards in a cell phone to credit cards and cards used for access control. The Smart Card offers us better security and offline identification because of its own embedded microprocessor. The combination of Smart Cards with biometrics for security reasons will be a logical step and the ideal way to identify the person as the true owner of the card. This dissertation will investigate the use of contact Smart Cards in the University environment, more specifically as a University student card. The Smart Card will be combined with a fingerprint to enforce better security. The main purpose is to use the Smart Card and the biometric property for access control at various places on campus