This paper introduces and gives an overview to the Dallas Semiconductor (now Maxim Integrated Products) iButton family, focusing on the hardware component, and examines potential areas that may be susceptible to attack. These areas may yield vulnerabilities or problems related to the security of the device. Detail is placed on the Java-powered cryptographic iButton, which plays a major role in the implementation of PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) or other solutions where security, authentication, and/or encryption is needed. Simple software routines to communicate with the iButton are also presented.

Paper: A Practical Introduction to the Dallas Semiconductor iButton

First draft of this paper was entitled Touch Memory Primer and published in 2600 Magazine 15(4):6-11, Winter, 1998. Final paper released on the @stake, Inc. website.