Carl Gunter of the department of computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania looks at the opportunities presented by the use of open APIs in secure programmable payment cards.
Embedded computer control is increasingly common in appliances, vehicles, communication devices, medical instruments, and many other systems. Some embedded computer systems enable users to obtain their own programs from parties other than the maker of the device. For instance, PDAs and some cell phones offer an open application programming interface that enables users to better customise devices to their needs and support an industry of independent software vendors.
This kind of flexibility will be more difficult for other kinds of embedded devices where safety and security are a greater risk. This paper discusses some of the challenges and architectural options for open APIs for embedded systems. These issues are illustrated through an approach to implementing secure programmable payment cards.
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