RFID Tag Vulnerabilities in RFID Systems

Abstract

More than half a century after its inception, radiofrequency identification (RFID) technologies are finally living up to their long promised capabilities. They are being rewarded with pervasive deployments in closed loop applications and the initial deployments in the even more pervasive open loop supply chain management applications. By providing accurate, real-time, human out-of-the loop asset and product monitoring throughout the world’s supply chains, RFID technologies are beginning to improve the efficiency and security of these chains. The use of RFID technologies in these open loop supply chains is still in its infancy with all of the learning and growing pains that the introduction of a new technology entails. Security is of paramount importance in the deployment of RFID systems, particularly when they are being deployed, in part, to enhance the security of the supply chains. It is therefore appropriate that we examine now the potential security vulnerabilities inherent in the RFID systems currently being deployed in the supply chains of the world. Instead of covering the expansive RFID security landscape in this paper, we focus on the security vulnerabilities in the use of the data retrieved from an RFID tag. We conclude that the data stored on an RFID tag provides no more a security vulnerability to a system than any other manner of importing data into that system. Furthermore, the limited and highly structured nature of the data stored on the license plate RFID tags being used for supply chain management eliminates the potential for any security vulnerability due to the use of the tag data in a competent system.