RFID Security and Privacy at Checkout Line 3
RFID is stirring a hotbed of controversy in retail applications. End-users are becoming increasingly convinced of the benefits associated with more efficient inventory management and reduced out-of-stock levels, but privacy and security concerns are creating roadblocks to widespread adoption.
Consumers are aware of the privacy risks associated with RFID. Tags on purchased products can be read surreptitiously to gather marketing data and learn shopping patterns. As a result, some vendors have developed tag designs that allow consumers to dramatically reduce the read distance of an RFID tag after
purchase so that the tag is effectively untraceable and no longer presents a privacy risk. The modified tag can still be read from very short distances (up to a few inches) for identification purposes if the product is returned, but the tag is no longer suitable for use in an inventory management system or reverse supply
chain as the modification is irreversible.
MIKOH recently announced a Smart&Secure Retail Tag. Unlike other RFID tags designed for use in retail applications, the new tag allows consumers to reduce the RFID read distance simply by unfolding the top layer of the tag, which decouples the tag’s antenna from its RFID chip and thereby ensures consumer privacy. If the product is returned, the tag’s read distance can easily be restored by folding the tag closed again, making it fully usable in an inventory management system or reverse supply chain.
There is a second major issue in addition to privacy. Standard RFID tags are not physically secure and can readily be removed from an item without its RFID function being affected. An RFID system tracks tags and infers the presence of the tagged items. It therefore cannot detect tampering with or removal of a standard RFID tag. Criminals can remove standard tags and place them on counterfeit items or just leave them in an otherwise empty shipping container. The RFID readers will continue to read the tags and infer the presence of the original items. MIKOH’s RFID tag technology addresses the physical security issue by
incorporating tamper-indication that is linked to the RFID function of the tag.
Smart&Secure Retail Tags can be supplied in either of two security configurations. In the “basic” configuration, tampering or removal of a Smart&Secure tag causes damage to the tag’s electronics that renders the tag inoperable. A more complex “tracking” configuration incorporates a dedicated tamper detection circuit that allows the tampered or removed tag to continue functioning, with the tampering detectable by an RFID reading device. Smart&Secure tags are designed to resist sophisticated tamper methods, including exposure to high or low temperatures, chemicals or solvents and the use of mechanical devices such as razor blades.
Privacy and physical security are absolute requirements for the future widespread introduction of RFID tagging. MIKOH’s tag provides RFID-based tamper-indication while also allowing consumers to protect their privacy, thereby enabling companies to take full advantage of the efficiency improvements and cost reductions available through RFID.
Andrew Strauch
Vice President, Product Marketing
and Management
MIKOH Corporation
