DALLAS SEMICONDUCTOR OFFERS WORLD-CLASS SECURITY IN STAINLESS-STEEL CASE FOR eCASH APPLICATIONS
DALLAS, TX—August 30, 2002—Dallas Semiconductor (NASDAQ: MXIM) introduces the DS1961S 1kb protected EEPROM iButton® with Secure Hash Algorithm 1 (SHA-1) engine. The DS1961S is targeted at the growing eCash marketplace where users carry an electronic token on a key ring that stores small cash quantities in electronic form rather than carrying coins or small bills. It is ideally suited for electronic payment applications such as public transportation systems, vending systems, arcade games, or customer loyalty programs.
Security against fraudulent manipulation of the cash value stored on the device is a key requirement for eCash systems. To achieve the high security required, the DS1961S uses an ISO-standard called SHA-1. Each DS1961S has a unique 64-bit secret that only the host system knows. That unique device secret ensures mutual authentication between the host and the device. Only genuine devices can correctly compute an authentication code (using SHA-1) from the application data stored on the device and from a randomly generated seed value sent by the host. To guard against unauthorized data tampering, the DS1961S only allows a host device that can provide the correct write authorization code to write data into its EEPROM area. Because the SHA-1 algorithm is implemented completely in hardware within the DS1961S, a complete, secure eCash transaction is accomplished in under 100ms.
As a part of the iButton product line, the DS1961S inside the iButton is not only cryptographically very secure, but it also creates one of the world's most durable tokens for eCash applications. Unlike plastic smart cards or magnetic stripe cards, the stainless-steel casing of the iButton delivers wear-tested durability of at least 10 years. In fact, with the DS1961S there is virtually no practical wear-out mechanism. One could use this token in an average environment every day for the next 50 years.
The DS1961S is available in both F5 and F3 packages. Prices start at $2.18 (1000-up, FOB USA).
iButton is a registered trademark of Dallas Semiconductor.
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