Can Smart Cards Really Get Smarter?

Gunter says the next hurdle is figuring out how consumers can program the cards themselves. The power of the card is in its customization potential, so it's critical to give consumers control over how they use it. He expects it'll be two to three years before the customizable smart card hits the marketplace. Vanderhoof predicts it'll be another five to seven years before usage is pervasive because in-store infrastructures have to be changed.

Obviously, the trick in allowing any such customization is enabling it in the card without destroying the trusted infrastructure of the card. If smart cards just evolve into Windows-like platforms without adequate protection and trust, the risks are simply too great to contemplate.

University of Pennsylvania Professor Carl Gunter has a detailed paper on open API's for embedded security (PDF) available online.