Security and Privacy in Radio-Frequency Identification Devices
Stephen A. Weis · 2003
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems are a common and useful tool in manufac-turing, supply chain management and retail inventory control. Optical barcodes, another common automatic identification system, have been a familiar packaging feature on con-sumer items for years. Due to advances in silicon manufacturing technology, RFID costs have dropped sig-nificantly. In the near future, low-cost RFID “electronic product codes ” or “smart-labels” may be a practical replacement for optical barcodes on consumer items. Unfortunately, the universal deployment of RFID devices in consumer items may expose new security and privacy risks not present in closed manufacturing environments. This thesis presents an introduction to RFID technology, identifies several potential threats to security and privacy, and offers several practical proposals for efficient security mechanisms. We offer several policy suggestions and discuss various open questions and