Those little microprocessor-equipped credit cards – so-called Smart Cards – are supposed to be the wave of the future. Carry one, the theory goes, and all your financial and medical (or whatever) information will be with you always, secure and encrypted, safe from baddies even if your card is stolen. What if that encryption could be broken by people using a cheap camera flash, a microscope, and duct tape? Would you still want a Smart Card? An NYT.com story (free reg. required) raises this scary thought.
