Contactless Smart Cards, RFID, Payment, Transit and Security

Electromagnetic sleeves protect contactless IDs, but is the eavesdropping threat real?

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 in Library

With a long workday behind him, Mr. Government Worker leaves the building, heading for the massive parking lot. He passes a gentleman (Mr. Man), but little does Mr. Government Worker know that beneath the stranger’s briefcase hides an RFID Reader with an antenna short enough to remain out of sight but long enough to communicate with a FIPS 201 PIV Card. Mr. Man captures the ‘free-read’ ID number from the card and now can in essence replay this information to the access control reader at the entry door to the building to gain access.

A preposterous scenario? Not really, says Walt Augustinowicz, founder of Identity Stronghold, though others disagree.

There are 939 words in the rest of this article …

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