A few years ago Computer World ran a particularly good piece on Radio-frequency identification )RFID entitled ‘Opinion: RFID security worries need a reality check‘. I’d highly recommend taking a look at it, for a pair of reasons:
- It identifies that hackers will only look at RFID tags once the data they transmit is easy to send along electronic mediums, with the data being transmitted itself valuable (i.e. not simply the location of valuable goods, but the information must be a valuable good in itself);
- It blindingly misses the point that RFID opens a new avenue of attack that could seriously contribute to an e-warfare application.
RFI-What?
You might have heard about RFID in the news over the past few years. In case you need a quick primer/update, here’s the basics on RFID:
- It’s not new – RFID has been in use since WWII to organize valuable assets and more effectively track them;
- RFID can either actively broadcast information, or have the chip activated when placed within ‘hot’ zones – an RFID device does not necessarily always broadcast information;
- There are different ISO standards for various RFID types – some support encryption, some do not, some support active transmission of data (i.e. they are always broadcasting information), and some do not (these are termed passive RFID devices);
- RFID Tag are often confused with Contactless SmartCars (CSCs) on the basis that they mutually use radio transceivers to broadcast information. Different ISO standards are used for these two types of devices, with CSCs having been developed with encryption and privacy issues in mind;
- On the topic of read ranges – RFID tags can be read up to 10 meters or so away, whereas CSCs are usually read from a maximum of about 5cm away from a reader;
- RFID Tags are to be placed in many of the Enhanced Drivers Licenses (EDLs) in Canada, whereas CSCs are being insert into the e-passports that are being deployed in Britain and the US. Continue reading
