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RFID-Blocking Blazer and Jeans Could Stop Wireless Identity Theft

Posted by samzenpus on from the keeping-it-in dept.

An anonymous reader writes A pair of trousers and blazer have been developed by San Francisco-based clothing company Betabrand and anti-virus group Norton that are able to prevent identity theft by blocking wireless signals. The READY Active Jeans and the Work-It Blazer contain RFID-blocking fabric within the pockets' lining designed to prevent hacking through radio frequency identification (RFID) signals emitted from e-passports and contactless payment card chips. According to the clothing brand, this form of hacking is an increasing threat, with "more than 10 million identities digitally pick pocketed every year [and] 70% of all credit cards vulnerable to such attacks by 2015."

29 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. signal blocking by frovingslosh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you build radio signal blocking into all of your pockets, doesn't that also screw up your cell phone from getting a call? And wouldn't it muck with my keyless entry system on my car where I just carry the fob in my pocket and the car will know when it is me trying to get in or start it?

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
    1. Re:signal blocking by codeButcher · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you build radio signal blocking into all of your pockets, doesn't that also screw up your cell phone from getting a call?

      And the downside is?

      --
      Free, as in your money being freed from the confines of your account.
    2. Re:signal blocking by Z00L00K · · Score: 2

      If the wireless cards don't have ample protection against copying of information and forging then the platform design is flawed.

      A correctly designed public key infrastructure solution would be a lot harder to crack. Cards shall only reveal sensitive information to authorized readers, readers verify that the cards aren't forged.

      The only thing left is the human factor.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    3. Re: signal blocking by TheCarp · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I have a friend who is just flabbergasted at the idea that I sometimes just turn my ringer off and don't take calls.

      I like to be able to take calls or to make them when I want to. I like having a mobile gps device and all that.... um, I like having a phone, but sometimes, I don't want to be disturbed, and sometimes Iforget to turn that off for a day or two...oops... but I can still call out and thats what I pay the bill for.....

      --
      "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
    4. Re:signal blocking by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

      If you build radio signal blocking into all of your pockets, doesn't that also screw up your cell phone from getting a call? And wouldn't it muck with my keyless entry system on my car where I just carry the fob in my pocket and the car will know when it is me trying to get in or start it?

      First off, yer not carrying that phone right. Both hands on the phone held out in front of you, head and eyes down, checking your facebook page. Style points for walking into traffic.

      But seriously, if you are wearing a Faraday cage, rf signals will be blocked. In addition, when in that state, the phone will be trying to "phone home to report it's position at it's highest available power, so will drain the batteries quickly.

      But to me, it just seems like a better idea is a Faraday wallet. Because if you are concerned about things like this, are you going to have to wear this outfit's clothing all the time?

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  2. while you are at it by ruir · · Score: 3, Informative

    Why not trousers+condoms all built-in...this has to be the more stupid informercial I have seen here for a while.

    1. Re:while you are at it by tehcyder · · Score: 4, Funny

      Why not trousers+condoms all built-in...this has to be the more stupid informercial I have seen here for a while.

      This is slashdot, advertising condoms here would be like targeting the Taliban with whisky ads.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    2. Re:while you are at it by Charliemopps · · Score: 2

      Neckbeards having sex with drunken Muslim fundamentalists?
      I think you might be on to something...

  3. Brilliant idea by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Insightful

    People will replace all their clothes, rather than buying one tinfoil case/pouch per device. Makes total sense.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    1. Re:Brilliant idea by datavirtue · · Score: 2

      This is one of those things that seem like a good idea until the CEO learns about it in a press release. Norton...WTF?!

      --
      I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
  4. why not just carry around a portable EMP generator by Karmashock · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's what I do.

    --
    I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
  5. Hope it works better then my wallet by Skylinux · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Paid extra for an RFID blocking wallet. Tested it out the next time I had to pay for lunch with my RFID card.
    Placed wallet on reader, card is somewhere in the middle, beeep, thanks for you payment - fuck.

    My wallet is a "Protact" with the A written like a German AE. 100% rip off, hope these pants are better.

    --
    Everyone who buys Wild Hunt will receive 16 specially prepared DLCs absolutely for free, regardless of platform.
    1. Re:Hope it works better then my wallet by Dr_Barnowl · · Score: 4, Informative

      I found the el-cheapo cardboard sleeves with a foil lining to be entirely adequate. 5 in a pack for a few dollars. I've not replaced the first one yet (I only have one NFC capable credit card).

    2. Re:Hope it works better then my wallet by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The solution is to make the cards secure. So far there have been no known contractless payment thefts via "walk by" attack, so it seems like the security works. I've been using such cards for a decade now without issue so at this point I trust them.

      It's things like passports that are more at risk, since an attacker can read some personal data from them (payment cards are either anonymous or don't provide things like your name, they only allow transactions). Fortunately I don't carry my passport most of the time.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:Hope it works better then my wallet by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 2

      Passports are easy. Just microwave the thing. Fries the chip but looks normal. "I don't know why it doesn't work,officer."

      Got my passport in 2006, don't think it has RFID. My VISA card does - or did until I centered a hole punch over the chip and whacked it with a hammer. That was strangely satisfying :-)

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  6. Calling it fraud could stop identity theft by khchung · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You know what could completely stop identity theft? Holding banks responsible for the loss when they were tricked by some thief pretending to their customers. You will see them tightening their authentication and fraud detection overnight.

    You know why some countries don't have any identity theft at all? They held banks and companies responsible when they were defrauded, and won't let them pass the loss to their customers by claiming "identity theft".

    --
    Oliver.
    1. Re:Calling it fraud could stop identity theft by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 3, Informative

      You know what could completely stop identity theft? Holding banks responsible for the loss when they were tricked by some thief pretending to their customers. You will see them tightening their authentication and fraud detection overnight.

      This is how it already works in the USA. By law, customers can only be held liable for up to $50 for credit card fraud, and almost all banks just offer the courtesy of reducing the liability to zero (you have to be with an incredibly shitty one and/or have a VERY shitty credit rating for them to not do this.)

      And if somebody steals your identity by taking out loans in your name, it's on the lender to prove that you were the one who actually took out the loan to begin with. It's inconvenient as hell granted because of all of the shit you have to go through to sort it out, but at the end of the day you don't have to pay anything to the banks if you're the victim, and the banks are the ones that lose.

      Identity theft still happens anyways because whether the thief steals from you or the bank, they still make money out of the deal (unless they get caught.)

    2. Re:Calling it fraud could stop identity theft by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Informative

      And if somebody steals your identity by taking out loans in your name, it's on the lender to prove that you were the one who actually took out the loan to begin with. It's inconvenient as hell granted because of all of the shit you have to go through to sort it out

      And that's why you're wrong. It's on YOU to prove that the loan is fraudulent. My identity was stolen by an illegal mexican who "bought" a car. Now that's on my record until I go to court and prove that it wasn't me.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:Calling it fraud could stop identity theft by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 2

      You're both right, you're both wrong.

      The burden is on the bank to force you, via the law, to repay them. The burden is on the person to clear their credit report of the issue.

      Now, the desirability of having a large system that operates under "guilty until proven innocent" and, while not having the force of law, is still pretty vital to living in America.... well, that's a different story.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
  7. This doesn't solve the problem at all by fuzzyf · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How about we stop using RFID to transfer important (identity theft type) data?

    1. Re:This doesn't solve the problem at all by stephanruby · · Score: 2

      The RFID/NFC tag on your passport requires a lot of your private information already as the private key to decrypt it. And even then, the biggest additional piece of information at the first level of encryption it gives you is your picture (the same picture that's already in your passport).

      Users with Android phones with NFC capabilities can check this for themselves.

      Every time an official checks your passport, that digital picture is only used to verify that the physical picture on the passport hasn't been tampered with. In other words, this feature is used to prevent identity theft, not make it easier to do.

    2. Re:This doesn't solve the problem at all by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Do any cards actually have that kind of data available over wireless comms? Passports do, but most people don't carry them regularly. Bank cards and the like usually don't, they only supply the card number and a challenge/response mechanism. The card number alone isn't enough to make fraudulent transactions.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  8. So there is clothing... by Plumpaquatsch · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So there is clothing that makes it easier to steal clothing by blocking the RFIDs of the theft detection systems?

    --
    Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
    1. Re:So there is clothing... by austinpoet · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I wish I had mod points. This is the first thing I thought of. Except why bother to only steal more clothes?

  9. It's by Norton... by SeaFox · · Score: 4, Funny

    When you're wearing the jeans your legs will only move at two-thirds normal speed. You have to have the blazer dry cleaned, and specifically by Norton, once a year otherwise it and the trousers may cease to function and leave you naked out on the street one day.

    1. Re:It's by Norton... by operagost · · Score: 2

      You forgot to mention that a month before your trousers disappear, every 10 minutes they shout YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE and you have to slap your leg to get them to shut up.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  10. NOT RFID! by ramriot · · Score: 2

    Every time this come up, its RFID ePassport this and RFID credit card that. None of these use RFID at all, the technology used is NFC. As for the RFID blocking jacked, pants, wallet etc. I have tried a number of these and yes they are good at blocking RFID access tags, but do only a little to reduce the range of NFC.

  11. Re:why not just carry around a portable EMP genera by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

    I wear a nylon sweater to build up some static charge. Zaps any RFID readers that try to steal my identity in a brush-up attack. I don't half go through a lot of phones though.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  12. Back pockets not secure by Alain+Williams · · Score: 2

    keeping a wallet in a back pocket is a silly thing to do anyway - easy for (physical) pick pockets to lift stuff from there.