RFID: Heaven or hell?

This is the prospect of a not-far-away future

- Microchips will be embedded in everything you buy, wear on people, read, drive . allowing retailers and judicial agencies to track every step of the way, goods and supplies Of course, you too.

- An " electronic nose " network will be deployed on a global scale, scan each chip micro-chip across, identify users and taste - their tastes. The "live" advertising images will follow and jump in front of you.

- In the " smart houses ", micro sensors are integrated into walls, floors and electrical systems . They will record the eating habits, activities of the owner, monitor medicine cabinet 24 / 24h , then automatically send data to the hospital or relevant places.

Science fiction?

In fact, most RFID (radio frequency identification) technologies allow wireless "tracking" and "tracking" of objects and people. And the aforementioned "mystical" future is just the next natural development.

Many of the world's leading corporations are investing money for RFID, a technology that combines radio antennas with ultra-mini computers to transmit information about buyers and the consumption of products to the database. enterprise.

Micro-chips have appeared inside some types of printers, car keys and tires, in shampoo bottles and supermarket display clothes. They have also "hidden" in library books and non-contact payment cards (just passing the reader is the card that has identified the cardholder, not "curled" as for a normal payment card). .

According to supporters, RFID tags increase the efficiency of the supply system - distributing goods, minimizing the possibility of theft. It also guarantees 100% that "branded" products are genuine, not counterfeit.

In addition, if an RFID reader is installed at the entrance of the supermarket, the buyer only needs to carry the bag straight without stopping at the cash register, because the machine automatically scans the items you buy and discount. deduct from bank account.

In the home environment, RFID also brings dream convenience to housewives. The refrigerator with the chip will warn the owner that the milk is "out of date", the food is empty and the vegetables are not fresh.

They will map out a list of items to buy every week, even send a signal to the TV, making the promotional video of the food that you (probably) enjoy displayed right on the radio screen. .

Similarly, the "electronic nose" inside the microwave also reads the cooking recipe on television and "goes out to process" without any further instructions.

Miracle or horrible nightmare?

" You will see a lot of applications of this amazing technology, " said Dan Mullen, AIM Global President. " We just scratched the surface of RFID. "

The problem is, the depth of RFID can lead to many consequences. And this is also the point that makes the opposition side most worried.

With the FRID label hidden inside too many objects, carrying both extremely sensitive and top-secret information such as credit card numbers and bank accounts, "your life" will not be able to escape. from the watchful eyes of corporations, governments and hackers, said Mark Rasch, former director of the US Department of Justice's Computer Crime division.

If an electronic nose is set up in strategic areas, the business will be able to scour everyone's pockets, purses, suitcases, briefcases and luggage "invisibly". They can also track both kitchen and bedroom customers regardless of day and night. " How the so-called personal privacy exists, " Rasch commented.

In an RFID world, you must be ready to accept the fact that you are being watched by others, whatever you do, what to buy, where to buy and how to buy it.

Police, thieves will be able to track cars, garages, offices and people's homes from far away without owners knowing. In other words, using RFID is that you are raising "spies" in your home.

Passive or active?

Currently, the most commonly used RFID label in the US is the " passive broadcast chip ", which means it has no internal power supply. Only when the reader "electrifies" the label will they generate a signal only, provided the distance cannot exceed 5 meters.

Another type of label that is also being deployed is "active chip", meaning that the battery is integrated and transmits data continuously. Currently, this type of label is being used by scientists to track wildlife like sea lions .

Retailers and manufacturers want to use passive labels to replace bar codes today, citing RFID technology to help them control inventory more easily. They will only display the product number, description and cost, but not the name of the buyer.

However, " once you have purchased a marked" item, the relevant personal information will fall into the hands of those who look at it, "the US Government Audit Office once concluded. so in a 2005 RFID report.

Do businesses wrongly use RFID information? Do they "donate" them to people who do not have authority?

Still straight forward

I guarantee that will happen. Should you worry? Sure, "said Mike Hrabik, chief technology officer of security firm Solutionary.

Then it is impossible to exclude the possibility of hackers abusing and interfering with the micro-chip's data transmission to the reader.

" It is difficult to know who is collecting data, accessing it, doing it with it and who is responsible for the information, once RFID becomes universal ," University graduate Elliott Maxwell Pennsylvania school said.

But despite these concerns, the RFID industry is still growing steadily. From 1955 to 2005, the turnover of new RFID labels totaled $ 2.4 billion.

But in 2007 alone, the world sold more than 2.24 billion RFID labels. Analysts predict that the revenue of RFID market in 2017 will reach 1000 billion USD.

Supporters argue that criticism and concerns about personal privacy have been greatly exaggerated. " Americans are particularly sensitive about this issue, so businesses are not foolish enough to break themselves out of the consumer market ," commented RFID Journal's Mark Roberti.