RFID Chips And Your Security
If your reading this article you are aware that there is this thing called RFID chips. Have you seen commercials claiming to block these chips? The ads are telling you that thieves are waiting for you to walk by them, so they can steal your identity. You are probably asking yourself, “Do I need this item to protect myself?” Well let’s get to the bottom line on RFID chips.
What are RFID chips in credit cards?
Contact-type smart cards may have many different contact pad layouts, such as these SIMs
ards have an
embedded chip in the plastic in 2 variants, Contact or Contactless (chip+antenna) chip cards. Contact Chip Cards need to be “inserted” in a chip card reader. Contactless Chip Cards can be read. In fact the card can be read by “tapping” a POS terminal with a contactless chip card reader. Or it can be read from a maximum distance, depending on the kind of chip it uses. This is based on an ISO standard supported by that card.
Chip types
There are two types of chip-based cards, and only one of them uses RFID.
One type requires that the card physically touch a card reader in order to transfer data. This is a “chip and PIN card” because you must both swipe the card and enter a PIN, or personal identification number. Banks favor these cards because they are less expensive than a RFID card.
The other type of chip-based card doesn’t require physical contact between the card and the card reader; it uses RFID radio technology to send data short distances through the air. EMV chips can be on a physical card. These chips can also be inside key fobs/tags. Mobile phones containing the NFC (Near Field Communication) radio-based protocol can carry them. MasterCard Contactless is an EMV compatible, “contactless” payment feature similar to American Express’ ExpressPay, Discover Zip, and Visa payWave. All these cards use the same symbol as shown on the left. 
What are RFID credit card readers?
The problem RFID cards have is that unless the card is inside a protective covering, they can be read from a few inches away by someone who has a portable RFID reader.
What is RFID blocking?
RFID blocking is a protective film that encloses the card. No RFID credit card readers can detect the chip. RFID blocking sleeves are now available where you can store one card. Sold in bundles you can protect all your cards even if you don’t know whether they are RFID or not. So you can buy a bundle of these sleeves cover all your cards and ease your mind. You won’t need to change your wallet or purse. The sleeves are inexpensive and you can get them for passports as well.
Security-related articles:
Selecting a Security Mailbox
Secure Your Auto Tags and License Plate
Want to read more about Chip vulnerabilities(click here)
(By Hywel Clatworthy (I scanned these and merged them together) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
(By Hywel Clatworthy (I scanned these and merged them together) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
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