FREE German scientists cracked Smartcard Encryption

Security researchers from Ruhr University in Germany cracked the encryption that protects the chip cards. It was recently unbreakable but now it is possible to break.
The equipment required for the operation costs around $3,000 which is very less for some who want to do a big damage.
This attack recovered the card's secret key, allowing an adversary to assume the digital identity of individuals who use it to prove they are who they say they are.
"It provides a recipe for how to extract the secret key material non-invasively, basically by pointing a radio probe at the card and monitoring it as it performs a transaction. This is something that's easily replicable with a few thousand dollars and a little amount of time, so it's practical," said cryptographer Nate Lawson, the principal of Root Labs, who has read the research.
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