Working of RFID and NFC: Current Security Considerations and Challenges

This article discusses the working of RFID and NFC technologies, their security challenges, and considerations. It explains the unauthorized reading, falsification of content, and attacks in the back end system. The article provides insights into the current security challenges and considerations of RFID and NFC.

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Author’s Note

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Working of RFID and NFC
Radio Frequency Identification and Near Field Communication have been two global
wireless communication technologies that have been providing various opportunities in the
development in the communication (Hu et al., 2018). Both technologies have been providing
one-way communication and helps in communicating without a direct line of sight. RFID have
been three components including Tag, Antenna and Reader. RFID has been working on low
frequency range of 125-134 kHz band, high frequency range of 13.56 MHz band and Ultra high
frequency range of 856-960 MHz band. RFID systems can be active with its own power source
broadcasting up to 100 meters and ideal for location (rama mohan Reddy & Reddy, 2018). It has
been passive with no power source and powered by reader by reading range from near contact to
25 meters.
NFC has been developed for enabling secure mobile payments and limited to singular
and close proximity interactions. This technology have enabled devices for both Android and
Windows supported. NFC works at frequency of 13.56 MHz same s RFID. However, NFC has
been able of two way communication used for complex interactions including peer-to-to peer
connection.
Current security considerations and challenges
Various security challenges have been faced by both technologies in the market. Some of
these are discussed below:
Unauthorized reading: NFC devices are vulnerable to unauthorized reading of data and
information stored by NFC radio interface. This treat has been high level as it deals with the
mobile payments including credit card information.

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Falsification of content: There is a content related threat in the falsification of content due
to unauthorized printing of data and information (Bhattacharyya et al., 2018). Another false
unique ID and security information might help in accepting emulated NFC devices. Due to
network attacks, there have been interruption in the communicating signals in the RFID and
NFC. The binary code of the signal might get falsified due to the interruption.
Attacks in back end system: There have been various attacks in back end of the systems in
the network. The RFID malware have been affecting the back end of the system of these
technologies (Chew et al., 2015). Therefore, there have been serious concern related to the
attacks in the back end database systems in the technology. Various private data and information
is stored in these databases. Therefore, security breach in these database might cause a huge loss
of data and information.

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References
Bhattacharyya, M., Gruenwald, W., Jansen, D., Reindl, L., & Aghassi-Hagmann, J. (2018). An
Ultra-Low-Power RFID/NFC Frontend IC Using 0.18 μm CMOS Technology for Passive
Tag Applications. Sensors, 18(5), 1452.
Chew, C. B., Mahinderjit-Singh, M., Wei, K. C., Sheng, T. W., Husin, M. H., & Malim, N. H. A.
H. (2015). Sensors-enabled smart attendance systems using NFC and RFID
technologies. Int. J. New Comput. Archit. Appl, 5, 19-29.
Hu, S. K., Liou, J. J., Lu, M. T., Chuang, Y. C., & Tzeng, G. H. (2018). Improving NFC
Technology Promotion for Creating the Sustainable Education Environment by Using a
Hybrid Modified MADM Model. Sustainability, 10(5), 1379.
rama mohan Reddy, G., & Reddy, E. M. (2018). Tracking for Easy to Find Out Animals and
Things through Internet of Things.