The approval of the use of thin-SIM technology by both the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and the Central Bank of Kenya will change the booming mobile banking in Kenya forever.
At early stages, the mobile phone market leader Safaricom blocked the use of the technology by Equity Bank and the battle ended up with the Parliamentary Committee on Communication and Energy over its security and use. Now the
regulators have given operators the greenlight after it became clear that nowhere has it been reported that thin SIM intercepted traffic of the primary SIM card. Yet controversy over this tehnology still rages.
Thin SIM is an overlay Subscriber Identity Modules better known as SIM, which is placed between the usual SIM card and a mobile device. It uses microchip embedded on a thin piece of paper that can be used to store several encryption keys to protect user information. The 0.1 millimetre thick cards allow subscribers to access mobile money transfer and voice services from two operators without the need of having a double SIM card.
So customers can use their existing phones, and save the expense of buying another.
According to Ngene Gituku, the chairman of CA, the process of hiring internationally reputable firm to conduct a security audit on all SIM cards especially the use of the thin SIM in mobile money transfer services has commenced. A framework for regulating the use of SIM card in Kenya during the one year testing period is yet to be recommended. If any vulnerability is discovered from the use of Taisys thin SIM card, then operations of the SIM card in Kenya will cease forthwith pending the final recommendations from the security report.
Tests conducted on Taisys thin SIM by China National Computer Quality Supervising Test Centre, and the Bank Card Test Center of China show this particular thin SIM complies with applicable ISO and ETSI standards. In addition, based on the opinion of GSMA, save for the inherent vulnerabilities of all SIM cards, there are no specific and confirmed vulnerabilities that have been pointed out from the use of the thin SIM.
The entrance of this technology is set to boost competition within the huge Kenyan mobile market.
There have been security concerns over its use but experts say thin SIM complies with all international standards that appertains to manufacturing of slim SIMS.
The company behind this technology has footprints in Taipei, China, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa, and is a member of the GSMA. It is also the sole supplier of slim SIM what offers financial institutions as well as transport operators the platform to among other things run dual SIM, do mBanking and send encrypted data or messages.
