A Security Framework Model with Communication Protocol Translator Interface for Enhancing NFC Transactions

Abstract

With the recent technological advances of Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled mobile phones it is now possible to introduce additional transactions of value, including those originating from contact-based security tokens within the existing infrastructure. We propose a low cost security framework including a PKI based security protocol, which can be used to integrate transactions involving external contact-based smart cards, for the purposes of e-identification, e-payment, e-ticketing, and communication services. We then designed and implemented a secure Communications Protocol Translator Interface (CPTI), which allows an NFC enabled mobile phone to access and use, over a contact less interface, any additional smart cards (or secure elements (SE)) which are externally available on a contact based interface and vice-versa. By using CPTI, it is now possible to have communication and interaction between passive security tokens as well as to use external contact based security tokens in the NFC environment, such as a contact based payment smart card.