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RFID
[edit] Background
If the world governments and corporations want to tighten their stranglehold on citizens, RFID is the next step for them.
RFID chips (Radio Frequency Identification) in simplistic terms, is a tag that is used for automatic Identification using electronic radio waves. They are already incorporated in a variety of everyday products such as Sim cards for mobile phones, credit/debit cards and security passes, they are now starting to be used in passports, and a recent trial on tagging children’s school uniforms at Hungerhill primary in Doncaster so to monitor pupils attendance was hailed a big success. With debit cards the banks use them to track your spending anytime you use your debit card to buy anything in a shop or withdraw money, or even buy something online, the bank receives information on:
What company you purchased from, exact time and date, and how much you spent.
However this information can be used irresponsibly, many banks use this information to try and sell their products that they believe would be of interest to you such as Fraud protection and identity theft protection. They scare you into buying it.
What is worrying is any member of the bank staff can access these details by just using your sort code and account number. Its not uncommon for staff to sell the sort code and account number illegally.
RFID tags are now commonly used in passports (E-passports) holding information on your nationality and your movements between countries. On these eventually your biometric data will be stored. One of the arguments against this is that criminals and terrorists can access this information by using even a crude device to scan The RFID tag in the passport. Leaving these people vulnerable to attack, mugging, Kidnapping because they believe the person is wealthy or a potential political prisoner.
If the UK were to introduce the ID cards scheme, then information such as your name, DOB, and full address would be on it through the use of RFID tags. There is also speculation that information such as your criminal record, medical history, and your country of Origin would be put on the tag, perhaps even biometric data. If you were mugged would you want them knowing where you lived?
Anyway this is just a tiny amount of info on RFID If you want to learn more
Thanks to Pod for the above
[edit] Shielding RFID Cards
I originally posted this over on John Twelve Hawks page and he suggested you might be interested. In his book "The Traveller" RFID chips are used to track characters. And in real life these chips are being included into passports, and possibly credit cards. The book raises the prospect of the data on these chips/cards being skimmed by hidden proximity devices, for reasons that your own paranoia level can guess at.
I have been issued with a door card containing an RFID chip, and set about some tests.
With the card in my wallet, sandwiched between my other bank & credit cards, I only need to wave my wallet over the sensor plate on the door frame to unlock and open the door.
After several tests, I found that wrapping the card in a single layer of aluminium cooking foil was enough to shield the chip. Holding the wrapped card right on the sensor failed to unlock the door. Remove the foil, and, open sesame, I'm in.
Now foil is not very robust; after a day in my wallet the foil was ripped and torn and probably didn't do much of a shielding job.
Best I can think is to reinforce the foil with duct tape, gaffer tape, or whatever. Suggestions welcome.
Custom foil-lined wallets, anyone?
Frank 11 April 2008
(And thanks to whomever for the page reformat)
