Subject: [NEXTEL-1] RFID Blocker Demonstrated- RSA polishes RFID shield

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 03:13:18 -0500

RFID Blocker Demonstrated

Contributed by mmasnick on Tues, Feb 24 2004

There has been a lot of talk lately about RFID chips - both good and
bad. They have tremendous potential, but also have some privacy
questions associated with them. However, as we pointed out last summer,
some researchers at RSA have been working on creative solutions to the
privacy problem by creating an RFID blocker tag. It was kind of
surprising that this news didn't get more coverage and seemed to go away
quickly. Very few of the discussions about RFID privacy issues mention
the potential of a blocker tag. However, now, RSA has begun
demonstrating how the blocker tag works and maybe it will get some more
attention. Unfortunately, it's not as impressive as I had hoped it would
be. The demonstration involves a shopping bag that has a blocker tag.
Anything in the bag is thus unreadable by RFID readers. The problem with
this is that it still requires you to take the item out of the bag to
scan. I was hoping there would be a more dynamic way of doing this so
that items could be scanned from within the bag, but only when necessary
and from the specific reader with permission to read it. Hopefully,
that's where the technology is headed.

Blocker RFID Tags Solve The RFID Privacy Problem:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20030826/1422219_F.shtml

===========================================================================

RSA polishes RFID shield
Last modified: February 24, 2004, 8:23 AM PST
By Matt Hines
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Computer security software maker RSA Security on Tuesday introduced a
new technology for protecting information emitted by radio frequency
identification tags.

The RFID cloaking system is intended to guard proprietary data located
on chips used to carry product information. The RSA Blocker Tag
technology uses a jamming system designed to confuse RFID readers and
prevent those devices from tracking data on individuals or goods outside
certain boundaries.

RFID tags, whose descriptive information is read via radio frequency
technology, are expected to allow manufacturers and retailers to greatly
improve inventory tracking. Considered a more advanced replacement for
existing bar code technology, the systems have created a significant
buzz among businesses looking to cut overhead through more intelligent
management of products and supply chains. But a major obstacle
threatening widespread adoption of RFID is concern that the chips might
allow unsolicited collection of product data, creating a privacy risk
for consumers.

At its security conference taking place this week in San Francisco, RSA
is offering demonstrations of the RFID-blocking tool in a mock pharmacy
setting. In that scenario, the pharmacy would provide customers with
special bags armed with the RSA Blocker Tags in order to keep RFID
readers from gathering data.

The blocker tags work by emitting radio frequencies designed to trick
RFID readers into believing that
they are being presented with unwanted data, or spam, causing the
information collection devices to
shun the incoming transmission. RSA claims that by placing an
RFID-loaded product into a parcel
bearing one of the blocker tags, the system would cause RFID readers to
miss any information carried by the product in the bag, thereby
protecting consumers.

When a product is taken out of a bag armed with the blocking system,
readers would again be able to scan the RFID tag accurately, the company
said. Using the pharmacy example, RSA said a prescription bottle could
not be scanned when protected but when unshielded could provide useful
prescription information.

The company also promised that its cloaking system would not interfere
with the normal operation of RFID systems or allow hackers to use
security technology to bypass theft control systems or launch
denial-of-service attacks.

"The promise of RFID will require infrastructure and process changes,
and it will also present huge security and privacy challenges," Burt
Kaliski, chief scientist of RSA Laboratories, said in a statement.

http://news.com.com/2100-1029_3-5164014.html?tag=techdirt

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