Is RFID Really That Scary?

tcd004 writes "Defcon participant Chris Paget demonstrated his ability to capture RFID data from people hundreds of feet away for the PBS NewsHour. Paget went through the regular laundry list of security concerns over RFID: people can be tracked, their information accessed, their identities comprimised. Not so fast, says Mark Roberti of RFID Journal. Mark challenges Paget to point to a single instance where RFID was successfully used for nefarious purposes. The signals are too weak and the data is too obscure, according to Roberti. So who is right? Has RFID yet lead to a single instance of identity theft, illegal monitoring, or other security compromise?"

Comments

Re:Yes and no

[CyberLord Seven]

It seems to me you are assuming that the RFID is the only method being used to track someone. I don't track people but it seems trivial to me that a device that identifies a single person out of a mob would be extremely useful.

Instead of setting my head on a swivel and looking around suspiciously I need only keep my gaze directed at my open book (hiding my tracking device) while I walk around keeping track of my subject.

Yes, alone, the device is useless; however, people in the business might find plenty of uses for it that you and I cannot imagine.

Answer is YES

[GameboyRMH]

RFID-enabled credit cards broadcast all the data on the front of the card in plaintext when energized. So I'd say the answer is YES.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmajlKJlT3U

Look how old that video is.