Tyra (2
March 2012)
"RFID K.S. Rajan"
I think Satan and his followers will have an easy
cure for this situation. Implant it in your hand or
forehead. My opinion.
God Bless You.
Tyra
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K.S. Rajan (1 March 2012)
"RFID"
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Lee Bellinger, Publisher
Re: Here's How a Thief Can Steal Your Wallet
without Even Touching You!
Imagine a thief stealing your wallet simply by waving his hand
over your pocket or purse... it's possible in today's world,
here's how (and how to stop it)...
RFID - Stealing Information
Let me explain.
Thieves have found one more way to bypass supposedly "secure"
technology to steal your money, your identity, and invade your
privacy. In this case, they don't even need to touch you – just
get close to you.
What's worse, this technology is rolling out into wider use by
government agencies, both state and federal, adding one more
area of risk for you and your family.
In this Executive Bulletin, we let you in on the threat and a
simple step you can take to protect yourself.
Picking Your Pocket with a Wave of the Hand –
The radio frequency ID (RFID) chip is used primarily in commerce
to track inventory. Applied in this respect, it's very
efficient. According to the RFID Journal (an industry trade
magazine): "Radio frequency identification is the next wave in
the evolution of computing. Essentially, it's a technology that
connects objects to the Internet, so they can be tracked..."
The problem: RFID technology is popping up on the items we carry
on our own physical bodies, such as our driver's license, credit
card, and passport.
RFID Card Reader
For example, touchless credit cards are being issued more
frequently by credit-card companies. The reason is because it
makes purchases quicker, which is good for business. Just float
your credit card above the touchless-equipped reader and pay;
It's even faster than swiping your credit card!
It also makes theft fast and easy. Demonstrations by security
experts show how a pickpocket hides a touchless credit-card
reader, bought online and connected to a small netbook computer
or smartphone, tucked inside a handheld organizer easily
"steals" the credit-card information right through a victim's
purse or pants pocket.
Armed with this information, the crook can create a fake credit
card or simply use the information collected to make purchases
online. One security expert says if he goes to a sports game,
the mall, or movie theater on a busy day, he could someday steal
thousands of credit cards without anyone ever knowing. A similar
threat exists with the RFID on a driver's license and passport.
How Are Such Elaborate Thefts This Possible?
Two primary variations of the RFID chips exist, active and
passive:
RFID Chips Send Out Signals over a Radio Frequency
The active chip has its own power source
(like a battery) and sends out a signal (on a radio frequency).
This signal contains information. For inventory tracking, it
would be the serial number, contents, destination, name of the
manufacturer, etc. The signal is captured and read by an
electronic reader, stored, and integrated with the rest of the
computer network. This technology is in use to track rental
cars, for example.
A passive chip doesn't have its own power
source. Instead, the electronic reader sends out a radio signal
that activates the chip, then the RFID chip bounces back the
stored information (your credit card, driver's license, or
passport information) to the reader.
Since information is floating on radio waves, any electronic
reader tuned-in and at the right distance can capture your data.
That's all the touchless pickpockets really do. An active RFID
chip can be read up to 300 feet away, a passive chip from 30
feet!
Is There Really a Risk for You?
The more this technology is used and the more information RFID
chips contain, the more reason criminals have to abuse it,
compromise it, and render it useless. Today, many driver's
licenses, passports, and credit cards already contain RFID
chips, so the security risk is real and growing.
Theft - are you at risk from RFID chips?
Security researchers argue it's possible to
read RFID chips from inside a passing car!
Even government encryption used to protect
data has already been cracked;
Information can be copied, as in the case
with the credit card example above;
In some instances, information on an RFID
chip can be changed by the reader itself. In other words,
researchers rigged readers to write over and change information
stored on an RFID chip. Someone with bad intentions could
conceivably corrupt the information on your driver's license or
passport and cause you much grief with the authorities while
trying to cross a border, for example;
Regarding RFID-equipped passports, each
country's passport sends out its own unique radio signal. This
poses a security threat while traveling if you happen to carry a
non-politically correct passport – even if it's safely stored in
your luggage or jacket pocket.
Privacy advocates fear governments will use
these chips more for surveillance and identity verification.
Reports from China suggest government officials are already
using this technology to scan crowds of protesters to help
stifle anti-government activism.
What Can You Do about It?
One individual demonstrated how he destroyed the RFID chip in
his new credit card by hammering a small nail through it. He
reasoned the magnetic strip still worked, and he didn't need or
want his credit card broadcasting his information. (You could go
this route, but it's probably not advisable with your
government-issued RFID documents, because it could come with a
penalty.)
Your other options are to wrap the document in a metal like
aluminum foil or buy a protective sleeve or stylish wallet
designed to block the radio signals from the RFID chip. In fact,
the State Department actually recommends doing this with your
passport.
RFID may have some benefits, but it is a major threat to your
privacy. Be wary.
Yours in Freedom,
Lee Bellinger