As I understand it, the Spark is best served as a secure credential platform as opposed to a simple access/ID device like a traditional NFC, is that right?
Basically I’m probably getting the Lifestyle kit, so if this is correct, I’m guessing I’d want the Spark in the best position for unlocks for my phone and other things. I’m gathering that it prevents a simple sniffing and duplication attack for anything that supports the crypto functions, right?
If I’m reading right, it will also support the “ordinary” NFC functions as well for dumb devices, right?
I am hesitant to answer things directly since I do not have a spark. Other members will provide much better info but in the mean time as far as I know:
It is specifically designed to authenticate you with the VivoKey ecosystem, websites like this can then implement VivoKey based login using it. It can still be enrolled with simple access systems.
Depends on your use case obliviously but most people only need to authenticate on new devices so you might not need that functionality all the time. Also phones are very easy to move around compared to wall mounted readers so it’s location for phones is less important.
It has a UID that can be enrolled on “dumb devices” yes, assuming there compatible with the chip standard. It also has a NDEF URL so phones can open the link as seen in @MouSkxy’s post I linked.
Saw the second thread, but not the first. Serves me right for getting granular in my searching and looking for Spark 2.
Regarding my first question, is my interpretation correct about the smartphone (and other device) unlocking/security? As in, it’s performing (with the app, I assume) crypto functions to actually authenticate, as opposed to merely presenting the UID like a traditional NFC?
AES128 encryption function with 2 byte payload salt
Spark’s core cryptography function is compliant to FIPS PUB 197 (FIPS 197) Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). The CMAC is calculated according to NIST Special Publication 800-38B, and uses only 8 even bytes from last encrypted block.
Crypto isn’t my strong suit, so while I get a lot of the high level stuff, I don’t grasp the finer details like the product page details. I’d love to understand the answer completely, but it’s well beyond my current understanding. I’m just trying to minimize my personal risk profile by ensuring important things aren’t secured by a simple key like NFC/RFID.
Yeah sorry for quoting so much, I just want you to get an answer for you given it seems quiet on here atm and I do not want to be in anyway misleading because as I said, I don’t know too much about them but I am relatively up to speed with the tech and terminology.
lol, thank you, honestly. I’m trying to balance my original questions between “explaining myself clearly enough with enough detail” and “OK, I just wrote 7 paragraphs to ask the difference between white or wheat bread, nobody is reading this.”
You definitely gave me the answer I’m seeking, so again, I thank you. And you have been very helpful this evening! You and @Pilgrimsmaster both really hooked me up tonight! Hopefully some day I’ll have the knowledge to return to the community!
Well, I am no baker but I believe most bread is made with wheat
White bread uses flour treated with bleaching agents (commonly benzoyl peroxide and chlorine gas, among others) to speed up the flour’s aging process. This results in a whiter, finer-grain flour with a softer texture.
Yeah. haha. tl;dr, as I understand it at least from my limit use so far (It’s been dozens and dozens of HOURS since I got my Spark 2 installed haha), if it’s scanned randomly, you get your vivokey profile (which you can actually lock so it just shows nothing), or a website you want it to load, sort of like a normal NFC chip situation.
the crypto communication for authenticating with sites/services is a call and response specifically with the vivokey app, so it’s not something that would/could be randomly triggered I’d assume (without a very specifically targeted attack of some kind I guess? but seems… unlikely to happen out in the world randomly).
that was less tl;dr than I had intended… uh… oh well!
but I am relatively up to speed with the tech and terminology.
