In an era where Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a force behind contactless payments, secure building access, and global supply chains, the convenience of RFID is undeniable. But, like any other wireless technology, there is a legitimate question to be posed: Is RFID secure, or is it a playground for hackers?

In a word, no, but RFID is vulnerable to abuse when it is deployed without adequate security in place. The first step in constructing a strong and resilient system is to grasp these risks.

What are the most common ways RFID systems are compromised?

Typically, hackers are interested in intercepting or altering the invisible signals that are exchanged between a tag and a reader. The main methods of attack are:

  • Cloning (Spoofing): An attacker passes a scanner over one of the valid tags, say an access tag, and electronically transfers the data to a blank, fake tag. The fake tag is then used by the security system as if it were the original, and access is granted.
  • Eavesdropping (Traffic Sniffing): The use of radio waves means that it is possible to intercept signals. If the data being communicated is not encrypted, an individual with a high-gain antenna can “listen” to the communication between a tag and a reader and extract important information.
  • Relay Attacks: This is a more sophisticated attack in which an attacker uses 2 devices to “relay” an RFID signal. The device that remains close to the victim’s card is referred to as the victim’s device, and the other device located near the reader is referred to as the reader’s device. This deceives the reader into believing that the card is there even though the owner is out of the way.
  • Denial of Service (DoS): An attack can be conducted through the use of signal jammers to overload the frequency and make the RFID system temporarily blind, so that it cannot track assets and verify credentials.

Why are some RFID systems more vulnerable than others?

A key issue in the security of an RFID system is the technology that is used—its “era”:

  • Legacy Systems: Some older RFID tags are designed to use the low frequency (LF) or high frequency (HF) bands and do not have an integrated encryption mechanism. These are “open books” – they announce their data to all who call.
  • Lack of Mutual Authentication: The reader requests the tag’s ID, and the tag responds with the ID. In a secure system, the tag and reader enter into a “handshake,” which is a series of cryptographic steps that ensures that each has verified the identity of the other before any data is sent or received.
  • Static Data: If a tag always sends out a static ID, then it’s very simple to clone. The modern, secure tags employ “rolling codes” or cryptographic signatures that vary with each use, so that data captured from one tag cannot be used on another.

How can businesses secure their RFID infrastructure against these risks?

Security is a multi-layered approach. In order to secure an enterprise that is using RFID, the following best practices should be adopted:

  • Implement Robust Encryption: Always use enterprise-level encryption, for example, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), with RFID tags and readers. This way, if someone gets your signal, the data will be indecipherable.
  • Enforce Mutual Authentication: Systems that require the tag to authenticate the reader before the reader can get the tag’s data. This means that the information is not accessible to “rogue” readers to scrape.
  • Use Tamper-Evident/Destructible Tags: To high value items, use tags that are difficult to remove or will break off if they are removed.
  • Layered Physical Security: Combine RFID with other security measures such as visual verification (cameras) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for particularly sensitive areas, where a PIN entry or a biometric scan must follow the card.
  • Regular Audits: Perform regular security audits to monitor for signal breaches and make sure only authorized readers are on the network.

How does “Network Segmentation” protect RFID systems from broader enterprise threats?

One mistake often is to simply plug the RFID readers into the main corporate Wi-Fi or local area network (LAN). Once an attacker has taken control of a reader, they can turn that device into a “bridgehead” to breach into your internal servers, gain access to sensitive databases, or wreak havoc on your entire facility with a ransomware attack.

  • Isolating the Signal

Network Segmentation is used in High-security RFID deployments to isolate the Signal. This places the RFID infrastructure on a separate “air-gapped” or “firewalled” Virtual LAN (VLAN). The attacker is still locked in the isolated RFID network even if the reader is physically compromised or the firmware is exploited.

  • Restricted Communications

The reader should be set to only communicate with the particular middleware server that processes its data in this segmented network. It shouldn’t be able to “ping” or otherwise connect to other business systems, like HR databases or payroll software.

Conclusion

RFID technology is not really an unsafe technology; it’s a tool. With today’s encryption and multi-layered authentication, it’s a force of efficiency! Fear of “hacking” should not be a stumbling block to innovation; just make sure the system is built securely from the ground up.