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Make an RFID-proof wallet

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the build-your-own dept.

99luftballon writes "If, like me, you're more than a little concerned about the privacy aspects of RFID there's a useful enthusiast's web page on making your own RFID-blocking wallet. OK, it's never going to win any prizes for beauty or garner fashion awards but should be effective and seems perfectly practical. "

3 of 238 comments (clear)

  1. Effective, but hardly practical. by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Article summary is a trifle misleading...I was hoping to see a modification to a real wallet, not a wallet made out of duct tape with foil added.

    It seems to me that I could simply line the pockets of my actual wallet with foil...this would have several benefits over the duct-tape wallet:

    • Less foil used means less likelihood of your wallet settting off metal detectors at the airport.
    • Ability to remove foil when asked by TSA means I don't lose my wallet the first time I try to board an airplane with it.
    • Conventional wallet appearance means I can take out my wallet in public without looking like a gigantic nerd.
    • Avoiding duct tape design means my wallet won't ooze adhesive, get stuck in my pocket, randomly glue money and cards to itself, etc.
    • Avoiding duct tape design insures my wallet can actually survive the occasional trip through the washer and dryer.

    I'll admit that the duct tape wallet has a certain Red Green-esque appeal, but I'd rather have a more practical solution.
    --
    ____

    ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

  2. Re:uhhhh...self defeating it seams by Red+Flayer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "Why not just avoid getting the objects if you don't want to use them?"

    Because eventually, you won't have that choice. Passports, Driver's licenses, etc, will all require RFID tags.

    --
    "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  3. Security industry. by InnereNacht · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I work for a small security outfit and we put in access control systems with RFID tag badges, fobs, etc. The chances of someone carrying around a reader and the equipment needed to decode whatever cards they find is pretty minimal, and with the minimal read range of the ID tags you need to have a pretty serious setup to get a valid read. Even the standard size proximity card reader can only read at a range of about 2-4" max. HID makes a reader called the Pro Prox that is about 15" x 15" and has a read range of around a foot. I wouldn't worry so much. Nobody is going to be snagging your credit card numbers from space. If you see someone walking around with a backpack and a car battery tied to his leg and your hair stands on end when you get within a couple feet, then maybe be concerned. These readers really aren't what people make them out to be. Hell, most of the smaller RFID devices require contact with the reader to work.