What is MagnePrint®?
Magne (as in magnetics)
Print (as in fingerprint)
MagnePrint® is a card security technology that can detect "skimmed" or magnetically altered counterfeit cards. Just as fingerprints can uniquely identify human beings, MagnePrint® can uniquely identify magstripe cards. MagnePrint® technology was discovered at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA. MagTek refined the technology, to bring it to practical use, and has an exclusive license to market this technology.
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A magnetic stripe of a card has billions of tiny magnetic particles. These particles, with varying magnetic properties, are scattered in a random pattern of various shapes and sizes. These particles exhibit "intrinsic noise".
The billions of tiny magnetic particles are sealed in it at the time of manufacturing. The random pattern, and associated intrinsic magnetic noise, are unique to a stripe and impossible to duplicate.
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Intrinsic Noise properties
-It is permanent and cannot be erased or changed by the encoding/recording process
-It is repeatedly and reliably detected
-Special circuitry is required to read this low-level noise
The result is a unique noise signature or pattern for the card called the "MagnePrint®" of that card.
MagTek® developed a peripheral magnetic stripe card reader that is MagnePrint®-capable and can be used to upgrade current POS equipment. MagTek® will offer components required for card reading, as well as MagnePrint® reading to terminal/ATM manufacturers.
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This unique noise signature is converted to 54 bytes of data by the MagnePrint®-capable reader or POS device. The issuer captures the "Reference MagnePrint®" for each card at the time of card issuance, or as part of first card use after the MagnePrint®-capable infrastructure goes live. The reference MagnePrint® is stored in the cardholder database.
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The MagnePrint® read from the card at the time of a transaction is compared with the reference MagnePrint®. This comparison is done by using a scoring software module licensed from MagTek®, called MagneSafe™. The comparison results in a "score" for the transaction. Cards that fail to produce an acceptable "score" are deemed fraudulent cards. This process is called a Card Authentication Method (CAM).
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MagnePrint® Service
MagnePrint® is a service, which will improve your bottom line. This service uniquely identifies each Magstripe card to detect counterfeit copies, and provide an alert if account holder data is altered. Identifying cards will curb skimming losses and control charge back costs.
To deliver MagnePrint® service, the Transaction Authorization system requires MagnePrint® enabled card readers at the point of card use and MagneScore™ authentication software at the card authorization host.
MagneScore is a critical component for the overall MagnePrint® service. To acquire MagneScore the card issuer needs to sign a use license with MagTek® before the MagnePrint® service can be delivered.
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MagnePrint® Terminal
A card is used at a MagnePrint® ready terminal
Communication Infrastructure
PAN and transaction MagnePrint® sent to the host
Host Computer
Uses PAN to locate reference MagnePrint® in the cardholder database
MagTek Scoring Module
Requires PAN, reference MagnePrint® and transaction MagnePrint®
Score
Authentic cards gererate scores closer to one and fraudulent cards generate scores closer to zero
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