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RFID Guardian Protects Your Privacy
An anonymous reader writes "A new device devised by Amsterdam graduate student Melanie Rieback is designed to serve as a portable firewall for RFID tags. The portable battery-powered RFID Guardian uses an access control list to filter RFID queries, blocking queries that aren't approved. Rieback, who is also known for being the first researcher to develop a proof of concept RFID virus, hopes to offer version 3.0 of the RFID Guardian to the public at cost."
One of these days, someone should invent something that can convey information like RFID, but not anyone can read it. In fact, make it so that it can be only read when I take it out and present it to the reader, rather than readable by anyone without be uncovering it. That makes sure only those I want can read it, and keeps it safe from being read without my knowledge, much less consent.
I think I have an idea! I'm gonna go patent it now. I'll call it a "barcode"! Yeah, that's the ticket!
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
I've found an even simpler RFID blocking solution.
The genius part was proving their was a threat, then inventing the solution to that threat.
Fantastic business model.
This is a really interesting device, I wonder if it has some darker uses, though...
Could you use this device to assist shoplifting by having it in your pocket when you walk past the RFID readers at the store entrance? This would effectively block the readers from being able to "see" the RFID security tags on the merchandise.
Depending on how low-cost these devices are (they are planning to sell them at cost, after all), could someone attach one surreptitiously to the bottom of a modern car preventing the RFID tag built into the ignition key from being read, thereby disabling the car?
Here in New Zealand, they recently passed a law requiring that all pet dogs have RFID chips implanted in them. It would be laughable if a small version of this were made which would could be attached to the collar of the dog to effectively disable the RFID chip implanted in them (admittedly I can't see this particular usage being helpful the the dog or the owner in any way, but it is funny to think about).
Other issues:
Since this is a powered transmitting device, it might not be legal to have it turned on while on board an airplane in flight. Since it can't be effective while turned off, it would still be possible to read passports of people in-flight unless protected by some other means (aluminum foil, farraday cage).
Windows is a bonfire, Linux is the sun. Linux only looks smaller if you lack perspective.