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RFID Injection Required for Datacenter Access
user24 writes "Security focus reports that RFID injections are now required for access to the datacenter of a Cincinnati company. From the article 'In the past, employees accessed the room with an RFID tag which hung from their keychains, however under the new regulations an implantable, glass encapsulated RFID tag from VeriChip must be injected into the bicep to gain access ... although the company does not require the microchips be implanted to maintain employment.'"
...and the Comrades marched rank and file into their working facility, while the Big Brother telescreen carefully scanned each implanted chip...
Back in the good old days, we used to just use duct tape and superglue to keep people from messing with our machines! (And I guess OpenBSD doesn't hurt either... ;-)
Creative misinterpretation is your friend.
At least, it doesn't need to be cut out to be used by a sufficiently motivated attacker.
Isn't this what the Christians have been saying was going to happen for the past 20 years now? Of course, it's not the governing that's forcing the chips on people, but it's only a matter of time.
But now they want to chip us like dogs too?
What's next, kibble in the break room vending machines?
I'm not understanding the point here. If you inject the RFID chip, you can theoretically track your users wherever they go. But you can't ensure that access isn't being granted to someone who has an RFID chip in their wallet. You are making it slightly harder to steal the data, but you're not making it any harder to clone the chip.
What's the security benefit to injected RFID?
BTW, this is the original article.
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Could someone object on the basis of religious discrimination if they believe that RFID implants constitute the "Mark of the Beast"?
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Is this the first time civilians have been required to do thing type of thing?
Lots of stuff has been done to monitor civilian employees: Drug testing, email snooping, time card punching, video monitoring, background/credit checks, etc.
D6 63 0D 70 89 81 BB 8E 7B 7C 5F 5D 54 EA AB 73
Ugh. I hate that site. Besides the fact that the IT section is full of spam telling me how I can work from home and make 3 million dollars a year, the site seems like it's always having troubles. I get runtime errors constantly while working on my resume. To hell with monster.com. Craigslist rules.
Actually, they didn't leave it out, and I did read the article. My comment was a question of the logical extention of this policy. More to the point, if they're only going to allow access to RFID-enabled employees, doesn't it seem kinda necessary that either 1) you will be implanted if your responsibilities include accessing the video library, or 2) you're going to lose that responsibility. I can't see the latter being a positive career move.
This will only last about as long as the Sony rootkit-like DRM lasted. It now has public attention, and when it is pointed out that the scheme has enough security holes in it to act as a noodle strainer, the number of people who will actually allow the implant will be zero, meaning there will be no one to do any maintenance in the datacenter, and thus the rules will have to be changed.
For less than they paid for the RFID system, they could have hired someone to log people in and out of the data center. Additionally, I question the validity of a system that restricts access to only those with an implant during disaster situations (fire, flood, and worse) where access rights and needs are rather different than in normal situations.
Good security costs a lot of money, and you cannot replace the human element in the security chain. The RFID schemes won't prevent anyone following an authorized person into the data center, unless there is physical restrictions that would make working in the data center dangerous during emergencies. In this case, the $10/hour guard is more flexible and cheaper than the high-tech answer, and more respectful of humans in general... or at least I think so
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To me this sounds more like a marketing ploy. So that they could go to potential clients and say, "Look we are so secure and futuristic that we need embedded chips in humans to access our critical datacenter!". Client is left stunned.
IANA American, but I hope that the goverment would do something if this was forced on the employees working in the datacenter. After all, what can this achieve which cannot be done with a retinal scan, RFID tag combo? If the criminal can pass the retinal scan, can't he also pluck the RFID from the employee and stick into his arm?
Huh..... I would hate it if someone said they are gonna put a chip inside my body. Wait till someone gets hurt and the company gets sued for a million dollars.
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Well, there were those number tattoos in the Nazi slave labor camps...
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And anyone who requires access to the datacenter to do their job, such as operators and sysadmins, cannot DO their job unless they get the implant. And if they cannot do the job, how are they expected to maintain employment?
I suppose the official reason for termination would be "uncooperative attitude." Certainly not "he refused to get chipped." Or maybe the company will concentrate on ways to make the employee so miserable, he just quits. Problem solved.
They say the first thing to go is your penis. Well, it's either that or your brain. I forget which...
Maybe revoke the authorization for that particular RFID device?
A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
In Soviet Russia, RFID chips employ YOU!
--
Evan
"$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
We all know that this won't increase security, but now this surveillance company can use this in all their advertising and PR. "Sure, you can go with the other company but they arent half as serious as we are. We put bloody implants into our employess! That's serious!"
Its harmless except for Joe and Jane Datacenter who have to go in for some minor surgery on the weekend to keep their jobs. I hope this "Golden Casino" mentality stops right here after these people get exposed for the dumbasses that they are. Hell, even in the article they did not know the weaknesses of RFID authentication.
I woulndt doubt if this was 100% publicity stunt. I wonder how many people even have to access the datacenter. Depending on the company size it could just be one or two people. Of course all the executives, security, etc will have the old keycards that will work just fine.
Don't worry, nobody is going to take your arm (it's too large to carry.) The chip is not that deep, so a small incision with a sharp boxcutter will allow the attacker to pull the capsule out. He only may need to explore a bit (with that knife) around the needle scar :-( Chances are very good that you will survive, especially if the attacker knows how to avoid major blood vessels, and if the knife is clean, and if you don't need that arm that much. Just choose your attackers carefully and check their medical diplomas before they do it to you.
Okay, but what's the metric here? "Unsafeness?" How "unsafe" is getting an RFID implant? Is it then safe to assume that if something was sufficiently risk-free, that a potential employer could get away with making the employee submit to their wishes? How far might that go? And most importantly, who's deciding what's unsafe, and where's their money come from?
I don't think the CIA is going to want thier agents permanantly broacasting a message that says 'hey I work for the CIA' to anybody that has the desire and technology to listen.
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Ironically, the extra security sought may be offset by a recent discovery of Jonathan Westhues, where the security researcher showed the VeriChip can be skimmed and cloned, duplicating an implant's authentication. When contacted, those at CityWatcher were unaware of the chip's security issue, according to the spychips.com release.
So before I needed to get close to an object (whatever had the rfid tag) which under normal circumstances an employee would not be carried around (say they were going home or something) or could have it in a reader blocking case. Now, I simply need to get close to an employ anywhere at any time to copy their data.
Fucking brilliant, now I can steal their tag without anyone ever knowing, whereas before they'd know it was gone in a reasonable amount of time (I'd have to steal the physical object most likely).
This is way over the line and a dangerous precedent. The employees at this company must refuse and they must take this to court. If they acquiesce, it will establish a precedent and other companies will see that people are willing to allow corporations to do this shit and it will spread. Once it's common in corporate security environments, the government will start requiring it. This is bad news. The company doesn't own my body. They can stick the tag up their ass.
"The world is a construct of forceful imagination. Those who don't know walk around in the reailties of those who do"
It's a video surveillance company. You work in the data center, you become Big Brother.
It's the gradual change that scares me. First it starts with things that people can justify easily until it seems like a normal part of life then how can you object to something so harmless. Besides it's for our own good. How long will it be before you need an implanted chip to use a fire arm? They are already pushing for chip activated pistols that would need a ring or wristband to be used. Next step would be implants. Who could object? How long before drivers licenses require inplant chips? No time soon but eventually. Indentity thieft may make people even demand it. Remember driving isn't a right. You want to do it you abide by the rules. How about credit cards? Banks loosing money to thieft may start pushing for chips to combat thieves. You want a credit card you get a chip. May be not for fifty years but I think such things are the future. DNA identity systems may make the credit card version unnessaccary but then we are constantly having our DNA checked. A job can require DNA scanners for identification but what is to stop the same machines from checking for genetic desease? Suddenly to keep health costs down companies start laying off high risk employees. All such systems are dangerous and will be abused. The real reason is never for your benefit and in the end will take away our rights.
Now people are required to inject glass capsules into their arms to enter a facility?
Now we know asbestos kills.
What will be said of placing RFID tags into our bodies 50 years from now.
Some risks are worth taking, there is no question. For me, this is not one of them.
And there isn't one here.
It says right on the story that it is NOT required to stay employed. If you don't like the idea, don't do it.
Slaves and criminals were marked with red hot iron before. It happened in America and elsewhere. If that's not forced permanent identification, I wonder what is.
http://www.ralphmag.org/slave2.html
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Wrong. TFA specifically states:
Thus, *IF* you work in that datacenter, then you *MUST* get an RFID chip in the bicep. *IF* you refuse the chip, then you *CANNOT* enter the datacenter -- and thus, how do you do your job?
Perhaps the company will be able to re-position people who adamantly refuse to be chipped. However, my suspicion is that:
1) The company isn't big enough to have so many such possible positions available (just look at their "About Us" page -- doesn't this look rather low-grade and unprofessional?), and
2) Every employee will go along with it anyway, like a bunch of goddamn cattle being taken to slaughter. *Especially* if the people working there are willingly working for what is a surveillance company...
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Maybe there are, but none of the replies have been specific to more than just a group.
--
Evan
"$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
The reason they would take the whole arm is that it would probably be difficult to dig around in the arm to find the implant. Much quicker to just use a hacksaw and take the arm. Plus they might damage the RFID chip while trying to extract it.
The whole idea is about as silly as it can be. While it sounds hi-tech and probably would impress most managers it does nothing NOTHING to improve security.
Although it might be good to use as a method to tag point haired bosses so we can track their movement through the various companies during their careers.
Everyone should know so that they can act appropriately. For instance, what's the point in voting when Diebold will just hand the election to the highest bidder?
The monitoring should go both ways. Elected officials should be monitored 24/7, audio and video, and these feeds should be made available to the public for their amusement and also to ensure that we know when they're talking to Diebold, or Enron, or Halliburton, ad nauseum. This would go a long way towards eliminating corruption--which is of course why they'll never go for it.
I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
But RFID doesn not require the participation of the owner. That stranger who just jostled you in the subway now has your RFID code (You can make RFID readers *small*) Now a)You don't know the code has been stolen (vs having your passcard lost or stolen) and b)When you do discover the code as been stolen, changing your own code is a *lot* more hassle than issuing a new passcard.
These things could be negated by RFID chips with rolling codes or read/write ability but these are not commonly available in the glass capsule RFID chips. I'd give good odds that this company is not pushing the boudaries either and has the standard one-id versions.
Bear in mind that RFID devices are operating on the limits of what power can be obtained from a fairly weak power source in the first place. Any extra complexity has a real impact on the operational range.
Rich
13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
The bicep is close enough to this to give me pause. I would *never* consent to anything like that. I am not necessarily a believer, but I'm not going to take any chances.
Besides, I don't believe in recreational surgery.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
WTF? Who moderated this "troll"?
...
I almost didn't read it when I noticed the -1.
Maybe the meta-mods will catch it, or maybe not.
Actually, using a second breast as a control for the other may not be all that great an idea. Usually they are slightly different in size and shape, as are most men's testes. And both breasts get exposed to anything in the blood stream.
What you obviously want is a second woman who is a match for the first in as many ways as possible. Then you compare all four breasts.
Lessee what sort of mod this gets
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