Mobile and Secure.Com

The subject of RFID keeps coming up in conversations I’ve been having lately. So rather than pleading ignorance, I decided to read up on RFID and share my notes here.

RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) is a technology that allows the automatic identification of an object by the use of an embedded transponder device, usually a small (inexpensive) tag. The RFID tag is attached to an object, and comes in two parts, an integrated Circuit (IC) identified by an EPC and an antenna. The IC stores the information that the tag contains, the antenna receives and transmits data.

There are 3 types of RFID tag:

Passive tags have no internal power source. They are powered by the electrical current generated by the antenna from the incoming signal. They generally have a short broadcast range of a few feet.

Semi-passive tags have a small battery to power the IC. The antenna generates its own power to broadcast from the incoming signal without using the internal battery. Its broadcast range is generally the same as passive tags.

Active tags have an internal battery that powers the IC and is also used to broadcast the signal. These RFID tags have the greatest broadcast range of up to 300 feet and the battery can last up to 10 years. Some also have read/write memory so they can store received data.

RFID tags can be found in passports, chipped pets, car keys, credit cards, identity cards, travel cards, access cards, expensive products, shipping containers, human implants (rare), library books, and many more places where someone has a vested interest in tracking or identifying an item of value.

Security concerns: There are always privacy concerns where any new technology can be utilised to track an individual. Retailers that embed RFID tags in clothing for the purposes of reducing theft and stock taking do not necessarily remove the tag once the item has been sold. You could in theory have your movements tracked or allow others to know where you shop if your possessions retain RFID tags.

Whenever a new technology is capable of processing and storing useful data, someone will find a way to use that data in a way that you may not approve of.

It has already been reported that it is possible to infect an RFID IC with a virus. It is also possible to track RFID tag movement within an area (M-RFID). Your movements could be tracked and plotted on a map.

What can you do about RFID tags? Well you could get yourself a reader (or phone) and scan yourself and your possessions for any RFID tags. You could also buy (or make) an RFID Zapper which will render the RFID tag useless and unable to transmit without damaging the item to which it is attached. Others mention breaking the RFID tag by physically separating the aerial from the IC. RFIDs in passports, payment cards, or access cards can be shielded using special wallets.

Some RFID tags use encryption, but this has been proven to be pretty weak and easy to crack.