Blocker Tags to Protect Privacy From RFID Tags

geekee writes "According to an article at CNET, RSA Security is developing a 'blocker' tag that disrupts RFID tag transmissions, protecting a person's privacy from those who would abuse RFID technology. The blocker tag would be embedded in your watch, for instance. This method has an advantage over destroying the RFID tags after purchase because useful information on the tag could help consumers (e.g. laundry instructions)." According to the RSA scientist quoted in the article, privacy concerns regarding RFID have been overblown, but it's still worth being proactive when finding ways to defeat the tags.

Comments

Shoplifting?

[ksuMacGyver]

Wonder how this would affect shoplifting? Just wear the watch and walk out $0 deducted from your bank account?!

Re:Shoplifting?

[psyco484]

Win enough illegal search and siezure (sp?) lawsuits and they likely won't bother you. This is of course assuming you're not stealing from them.

If the cops can't search my car without consent or a warrant, I'll be damned if a supermarket clerk can search me.

Re:Shoplifting?

[eht]

They'll make a Anti-RFID detector and you come in the store it goes off, sorry sir, you can't bring that in here.

Quite a few stores won't let you shop carrying a backpack, so I figure they'll do sometihing along those lines.

Don't like it? You don't have to shop there and they have the right to refuse you business as long as they aren't discriminating against a class of people(I don't think paranoid is a legal class of people).

Going lotech

[Empiric]

Juels said that he foresees a day when tags in clothes can tell washing machines the proper way they need to be washed.

This just seems like really stretching for a scenario in which RFID tags will be useful beyond inventory tracking (What happens when 5% of your laundry says "warm" and the rest says "hot")?

Before paying RSA for advanced laundry stealth technology, I think I'd first try something a little more straightforward, like a few seconds in my microwave.

Is that legal?

[PeteQC]

is that legal to block radio frequency? Isn't it the same problem that movie theaters came across when they wanted to block cell phones' frequency but they can't because of the law?

IANAL, but I think it may not be legal!

Build security in from the beginning...

[mnmlst]

What a concept! Near the end of the article is the quote about how hard it would be to add the blocking capability at a later time. I would hope these guys are looking at a LOT of security aspects to this technology before they unleash it everywhere. Interestingly, Business 2.0 is currently running an article on Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) and how they have just now really begun to get "wired". Naturally, they are using a lot of RFID technology to track their rail cars. As recently as ten years ago (when I interviewed with them) they were still using paper and pencil. Sometimes an engineer would stop a train and call back to the dispatcher on a pay phone. Bring on the RFID's. MOM, I want a train!

You'll pay and pay

[frovingslosh]

One of the advantages being promoted for the tags is that you'll be ableto take a shopping cart, just run it through the checkout line, and the scanner and RFID tags will quickly add up everything in your cart. You can expect this technology to become as prevalent as bar codes are now. But with such a system and tags that are not disabled after you leave the store, you're likely to end up being charged again for your shirt, or watch, or underware or shoes or some item in your pocket with an embedded tag if you are close to the cart when it is scanned. It will become the new way of scamming the customers, soon to exceed the scan prices often being higher than the shelf price but never being lower.

RFID Silliness

[ticklemeozmo]

Seriously, how long does it take to seperate whites from darks and if you are in that serious need of time, you have a scheduling issue.

On a tin-foil-hat note: this is how freedoms are taken away.

• "It's for convienence!"
• "But it'll save time... no one is going to monitor what types of razor blades you buy."
• "If you just swipe your finger, you'll check out quicker, save time and money 5% off to customers who use RFID!"
• "I'm sorry, but it's a requirement that all people have RFID tags in their heads. well, people were cutting off their fingers to not be tracked by us. And anyone who doesn't submit to InstaTrace is considered a criminal."

I hate to sound like a Montanian, but consider this when security and freedoms are concerned (I forget who said it, didn't bother googling).

"When you draw a line in the sand, and step over it, it does not appear to be a big step from your last position, so you allow it. But if you continue to allow it, over time, you will realize (albeit, probably too late) that you do not have your original position in sight as you turn around."

Lame excuses for RFID

[SuperBanana]

This method has an advantage over destroying the RFID tags after purchase because useful information on the tag could help consumers (e.g. laundry instructions)

Man, these RFID people are getting desperate. First it was "it'll stop theft". Then it was "It'll keep food from getting spoiled/infected. And that'll keep food safe from....TERRORISTS!"(Don't worry, I missed that train of thought too, but the T word is like 'dot com' was a couple years ago, so...) Now it's "it'll help you do your laundry." If you can't remember how a certain shirt gets washed by the time the little printed tag wears out, you either need fewer clothing, or a brain. Besides, what's the washing machine gonna do, scream at you like your mom/girlfriend/wife/CowboyNeal would, for mixing the underwear with the christmas socks? How useful.

Now, of course, I have one question- I assume there'll be maybe two bits for water temperature(cold, cold/warm, warm, hot), two bits for fragile-ness(delicate, knit, perm, regular), maybe two bits for color-compatibility(how much it bleeds) and color(dark, color, white, etc).

The question is- can we get an Evil Bit added?

Spoofed RFIDs

[MoogMan]

I think it would be cool to have a system where a device sends out all (or many) RFIDs to confuse a reciever.
Another thought is that it could send out a bunch of random RFIDs thus (hopefully) protecting anonymity but keeping statistics useful?

Like they haven't thought of that.

[Chuck Chunder]

These things contain unique IDs. A shop will only be scan out and charge for an item that it has identified as being in stock. Once it's been purchased and scanned out of the system if you go back to the store (or another store) you won't be charged because that store knows it doesn't have a product with that ID to sell.

A better idea...

[Baron_Yam]

What size range would the holes in a screen need to be to block RFID frequencies? I think it might be nice to embed such a mesh in the lining of a purse or jacket...

Depends on where you are.

[hayden]

In Australia the search thing is covered by contract law. When you enter a store you enter into a contract with the owner. That contract by default does not include having your bags searched. By putting a sign outside the store that is clearly visible before you go into the store they can change the contract. It must be before you enter the store so you can refuse to agree with it by not entering the store.

IANAL but my sister is and she gets really shitty about this.