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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."

15 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. 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
  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."
  4. 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
  5. 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.'"
  6. 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?

  7. 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?

  8. 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.