JavaCard applets and GlobalPlatform
All AmbiSecure engineering content tagged JavaCard, newest first. Newer entries reflect current thinking; earlier entries come from the engineering archive.
JavaCard is the runtime and application model for programmable secure elements: applets written to the JavaCard API run inside a certified chip, managed through GlobalPlatform, giving one piece of tamper-resistant silicon multiple independent security applications. It is the substrate behind FIDO applets, PIV, payment, transit, and ePassport chips.
This category covers JavaCard engineering — the applet development lifecycle, the JavaCard 3.x platform, GlobalPlatform card management and secure channels, and CAP file loading. The practical emphasis is on building and provisioning applets that run on certified secure elements rather than on the language itself.
Articles tagged JavaCard
Frequently asked questions
What is a JavaCard applet?
A JavaCard applet is a small application written to the JavaCard API that runs inside a secure element — for example a FIDO2, PIV, or payment applet — isolated from other applets by the platform firewall.
What does GlobalPlatform provide?
GlobalPlatform defines how applets are securely loaded, installed, and managed on a card, including the SCP secure channels used to authenticate the management session and protect CAP-file loading.
Can multiple applets coexist on one chip?
Yes — a core strength of JavaCard is hosting several isolated applets on one certified secure element, each with its own keys and access rules, sharing the hardware but not the security domain.
What is SCP03?
A GlobalPlatform secure channel protocol that authenticates and encrypts the session between the card and the entity managing it, so applet loading and key material are protected in transit.
Can applets be added or removed after a card is issued?
Yes. That is the point of the platform: under the issuer's keys, applets can be installed, updated or deleted over the card's life without replacing the card.