5 Tips To Secure Your RFID System

The very first radio frequency identification (RFID) device was created in 1946 by the Russian physicist Leon Theremin. So RFID systems aren’t a new technology by any means.

However, if you’re well informed of the news, you probably already know that RFID systems have been the rage for quite some time now in many industries. This prominence might be because the necessary equipment to set up an RFID system is more affordable these days than ever before.

Hence, pretty much everyone can develop their own systems, given that they have the necessary expertise. In fact, you can build a fairly decent system with a budget of only USD$1,000. But while it’s indeed more affordable, the fact that security is still necessary for RFID systems remains. On that note, here are five tips to help you secure your RFID system:

  1. Consider Using RFID Implementation Services

First of all, if you’re operating a business, you have to remember that security is a huge deal. After all, cyberattacks can be costly, even to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Since that’s the case, there’s no harm in seeking help from service providers for your RFID implementation. Not only can they speed up the process, but you can also guarantee the security of your RFID system if you choose the right service provider. It may not be the most typical approach to RFID implementation, but it’s certainly an end to a means that you should consider.

A typical example of a  reliable RFID implementation service provider is Lowry Solutions’ RFID implementation services.

  1. Require Physical Input From A Switch Or Button

Regardless of what type of RFID system you’re developing, you always need to set a condition to activate the system. The most common condition is input from the RFID software. However, if you want to secure your RFID system, you should require physical input instead.

For example, rather than requiring someone to press a button on the RFID software to activate the system, you can instead require someone to physically press a button or turn on a switch. In doing so, you can prevent a scenario where a hacker can activate and mess with your system by simply hacking into your software or sending a digital signal similar to yours.

  1. Install A Kill Code On Each Tag

When you develop an RFID system, you’ll need to associate tags with objects first. These tags typically contain valuable data that, when revealed, can pose a risk to you or your organization.

For that reason, much like how you can wipe out the data from a stolen gadget to protect your personal or business device from hackers, you should also add a feature where you can ‘kill’ a tag by installing a kill code. By using the kill code and killing a tag, you can render it unresponsive, which means hackers or anyone with malicious intent cannot use it for their agenda.

  1. Create A Password For Each Data Transmission

You should also consider locking each tag with a password so that whenever you want to transmit data from or to a particular tag, you must first enter a code known only to you or people you trust.

It may make things slightly less convenient for you, but it’s very much worth it for the extra security it provides to your RFID system. Of course, you have to remember that since tags can only contain a limited amount of data, you might only be able to require a 32-bit password, but that should be enough for your purposes.

  1. Encrypt The Data During Transmission

A standard tactic developers use when building their RFID system is to encrypt the data during transmission from the reader to the tags and vice versa. For your reference, encryption in information technology refers to the practice of converting data into code that humans can’t interpret. Doing so prevents hackers from analyzing the data even after successfully getting in the way of the transmission and getting hold of the data.

As you may imagine, such an ingenious tactic would be highly valuable for an RFID system, especially since its whole purpose is to transmit data from one place to another.

Conclusion 

As eager as you are to implement an RFID system for your business, you must remember that this system can be a security hazard if you aren’t careful. Not only can hackers use it as an entry point to your infrastructure, but this type of system is also vulnerable to hacking, seeing as how it’s still under development. For that reason, securing your RFID system should be one of your top priorities, and this article should be helpful in that regard.