System for securely accessing data from smart cards

摘要

A card-enabled processing system comprises a security module (120) for securely exchanging data with cards, such as smart cards, and an application module (150) for processing data from the smart cards. The security module (120) encrypts and decrypts data using keys, which are securely stored in a secure memory. The security module (120) also validates the cards before processing by the application module (150) occurs and assists the card in validating the system. The application module provides a common platform in which different types of smart cards can be processed.