RFID: Subway Rides, Movie Tickets & Hamburgers

RFID (radio frequency identification) technololgy has hit the NYC Subway system. Citibank customers need only tap their PayPass-enabled credit cards on the subway turnstile to get a ride charged to their account. RFID technology is already used for travel in England via the Oyster Card. In Japan its the Suica smartcard.

Like every new technology, the thieves see it as another means to skim information. While the chips are supposedly encrypted to the highest standards (you don’t say), reports do indicate potential security risks and fraud, as well as privacy issues.

Soon you will be able to reserve a movie ticket by scanning a movie poster on the street, already available in Korea via SK Telecom’s U-Theater system. Mickey D’s is using RFID to make its food even faster. What’s next?

Want to learn more about RFID, visit RFID Weblog. Highly recommended. The 2006 RFID summit was just held in Atlanta this week.

H/T: The Consumerist. Photo (c) Reader C, via The Consumerist. U-theater movie poster via Aving.net/USA

Doug Quance

My Enron example probably isn't a good one, as that was a proprietary system designed for a specific application. These new cards are much more universal in application... therefore the attraction to hackers is undeniable.

There will be, however, a money trail. And that's there the Feds will hopefully be quick to jump in.

sellsius°

One would hope they're secure. It would be nice if the limit on the card were only a few hundred dollars so the risk of fraud would be less. But do you suppose a criminal could create their own reader or receiver to pick up the signal sent by your RFID device?

(BTW, I lived in Houston from 1978-81. A great town.)

Doug Quance

It is possible that this technology could be secure.

The last time I worked for Enron (~1990), we had a similar system for accessing various parts of the building. The card was the size of a credit card, albeit about as thick as two credit cards. You didn't have to take the card out and swipe it - just face your backside towards the sensor and you were good to go.

We also used the cards in the company cafeteria, where meals were charged to our accounts.

The system also allowed the company to track employee whereabouts in the building.

At the beginning of the first Gulf War, security was really tight... as 40,000 miles of gas transmission pipeline was centrally controlled from the now famous Enron building at 1400 Smith St. in Houston. Blow up that building, and you would have more economic damage than 9/11 brought us.

I would like to believe that in the 16 years since then, this technology could be made secure.

Sellsius real estate marketing blog

RFID: Subway Rides, Movie Tickets & Hamburgers — Just the Beginning