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Why are magnetic stripe cards less secure than smart cards?

2015-04-25 · We know that with the country's vigorous promotion of smart cards, banks will no longer issue magnetic stripe cards. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is security. So why are magnetic stripe cards less secure than smart cards?

Why are magnetic stripe cards less secure than smart cards?
We know that with the country's vigorous promotion of smart cards, banks will no longer issue magnetic stripe cards. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is security. So why are magnetic stripe cards less secure than smart cards?


1. The card number of the magnetic stripe card is displayed in plaintext

Many people may know that magnetic stripe cards are easily copied, but very few know how to copy them and what the basis for copying is clear. Here, I can share with you: First, when the magnetic stripe card is swiped with a card reader, a row of plaintext card numbers is displayed. Most current magnetic stripe readers can recognize track two. You just need to swipe on the text box, and the information written on the magnetic strip will be displayed instantly.

2. Magnetic stripe cards are easy to write
Once you know the magnetic stripe card number, copying it becomes much easier. The key feature of magnetic stripe cards is that they use track combinations to sort the numbers. You only need to assign a specific frequency to the magnetic stripes to form different card numbers. Simply put, as long as you have a magnetic writer, you can write information into the magnetic stripes. For example, after knowing a bank card number, you can write another identical card number inside, and the bank ATM can still recognize that card number.

3. Magnetic stripe cards are prone to demagnetization
Everyone knows this: magnetic stripe cards suddenly stop working after a while. This is because, in certain environments, external factors disrupt the order of magnetic stripes. Once the stripe order is disrupted, it cannot form valid information, so the card reader cannot recognize it. This is a very important reason. You can also check it out:How to prevent demagnetization

Therefore, magnetic stripe cards are far inferior to smart cards in terms of security, which is why magnetic stripe cards are not as secure as smart cards.
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