Rfid Security and Privacy

Running head: RFID Security and Privacy

RFID Security and Privacy

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RFID Security and Privacy

Privacy refers to the ability of the Radio Frequency Identification system (RFID) to keep the meaning of the information transmitted between the RFID tag and the reader secure from access by unintended persons. On the other hand, security refers to the ability of the RFID system to keep information transmitted between the tag and the reader from non-intended recipients (Blank J, 2006).

Since the RFID is a tracking device using Radio Frequency (RF) that can be detected by any signal reader using RF, the major challenge has been on maintaining its security and privacy details. In a given environment, an RFID may pose security risks without affecting the issue of privacy. For instance, in a situation where a tag broadcasts its unique identification number in a consistent and unencrypted manner, any reader can decode the RF signal and exchange data. If all that is read is the tag's unique identifier only i.e. no access to the backend information that maintains information relating the tags IDs and objects they represent, then there is no privacy issue violated (Banks J, 2008). However, issues of traceability and inventory may remain.

Traceability refers to the ability of an unauthorized person or entity to trace the person or object bearing the tag. This normally violates the security of individuals as they may be tracked for illegal reasons. On the other hand, inventorying goes as further as finding out the information that the tags are carrying. The latter violates both the security and privacy.

RFID faces considerable security threats like illegal tracking of individuals or items. High security RFID is the one that possesses the ability to guard against security and privacy threats. Eavesdropping is an example of a threat where unauthorized persons can scan the tags using their own reader and get private information stored in the chip. This is so because the design feature of these tags permits information exchange with any inquiring reader. Furthermore, incase the security protocol employed in the RFID channel is revealed, attackers can use the formatted data to write blank RFID (Banks J, 2008). This may be used by dishonest persons, for example, in a supermarket to replace the original tags on items so that they can get cheaper prices while checking out.

There are however a number of methods that are employed to improve the RFID security. This includes encryption of information in the tag and ensuring that that key to decrypt the data is only obtainable with the usage of an optical reader. Faraday Cages is