Chapter 1 - What Is RFID?

Abstract

This chapter discusses the tools, applications, and security of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). RFID is about devices and technology that use radio signals to exchange identifying data. Some of the current uses of RFID technology include: point of Sale, automated vehicle identification (AVI) systems, restrict access to buildings or rooms within buildings, livestock identification, asset tracking, pet ownership identification, warehouse management and logistics, product tracking in a supply chain, product security, and raw material tracking movement within factories. This chapter also discusses RFID security which focuses on the technical security aspects of using RFID—specifically the security of the physical and data layers. Furthermore, working of RFID systems, the various types of RFID tags, data formats, and tag protocols. It also discusses some of the potential attacks that RFID systems are susceptible to. It is also noted that some of the attacks that are well known to IT professionals can also be applied to RFID.