🚀 go-pugleaf

Newsgroup wrote:
> Here's the basics of what I learned:
> 
> RFID is simply a number or ID on a card.  This ID number can be read by an 
> RFID reader.  The ID in itself means absolutely nothing.  That ID linked to 
> a database means everything.  As long as the security of the database is 
> good and the ID is not a combination of identifiable information, then RFID 
> is not a security risk.

The RFID passports will contain identifiable information such as
your name, birth date and your photo in digital form. This information
will be encrypted but someone can record the encrypted information
in less than a second and then take all the time they need to break
the code later.

One would imagine that drivers licenses would operate in the same
manner if they had RFID. The magnetic stripe already contains all
(or nearly all) the information on the drivers license in digital
form so I don't see why they wouldn't do the same with RFID.

That said, even with just an ID there are any number of ways to
create your own database. Just record the credit card number with
the ID when someone makes a purchase, or record a digital photo
when they walk past a reader and use face recognition software to
figure out who they are, or simply keep a record of all the ID's
that go past the reader and compare that to a live person with
a hand held reader when you wish to question them or during a traffic
stop.

> The readers have issues though.  Water, such as rain makes accurate readings 
> difficult.  Remember, that the "RF" in RFID is radio frequency.  Water 
> disrupts radio waves.  Distance is an issue too.  They have very short 
> accurate distances.  The other major issue which will decrease in time, is 
> the cost of the readers.  They are extremely expensive.

The cost of electronics becomes cheaper as time goes on. They are not
extremely expensive today. I see RFID readers at almost every gas pump
these days. I don't see why they would get more expensive tomorrow.

Yes, most RFID are short range but they don't always have to be. They
do sell long range readers. Even if you do accept the range limits,
it's not that difficult to flood an area with inexpensive readers or
for someone to have a reader hidden on their person or in a purse.

Anthony