Death to RFID!

[nbk2000]

Everyone loves to talk about how RFID is the death of freedom, end of privacy, yada yada...

They talk about how there needs to be new legistation to restrict its use, privacy regulations, blah blah blah

Face facts people!

If the corporations want it, the corporations will get it, and there isn't anything you can do about it.

Or is there?

Ever notice how when the government wants to pass some new law that'll take away another right, there will be some kind of massacre or other atrocity conveniently provided to point to and say 'This wouldn't have happened if we had THIS law!', and all the sheeple fall for it?

The same thing needs to happen with RFID, only not FedGov agents using it to show how great it is, but Lone Wolves using it to show how evil it is.

Imagine a pedophile ring using RFID's embedded in school ID's to track and kidnap kids for pedo-snuff films.

Or terrorists using the RFID in passports or drivers licences to make automatic American detect-and-kill bombs.

For every 'good' use they propose for using RFID for, there must be an equal number of horrible uses known and done to keep the masses scared shitless of the things.

The sheeple can be counted to react to fear.

THEY say 'RFID will help lower prices and make things more convenient for you'. "Oh, that's nice." says soccer mom.

Someone else says 'Pedophiles are using RFID in the school ID's to track your kids to fuck them and cut their throats on film.' Soccer mom says "OH MY GOD! BAN THAT EVIL RFID! :eek:"

:D

[chemdude1999]

I like your line of thinking, NBK. The government (local, state, and fed) has shown a very delibrate methodology in using either prefabricated incidences or serendipious events to concoct new legislation that "protects" us. Everything is so reactionary nowadays.

Although I believe the government(s) take a very active role in producing events to motivate their initatives, I think we can all agree that the great beast of bureaucracy is not omniscient enough to pull all the strings. Instead they try to set things in motion and capitalize on others.

The RFID tags are actually an easily targeted enemy and can be attacked on different fronts. (1) They are technology and therefore have inherent weaknesses. I'm not an expert but I believe there exist ways to fuck-up the tags. Imagine taking down a distribution center. Walmart for one depends on RFID to track inventory. (2) Some select phone calls to local representatives trying to make a name for themselves, could get the ball rolling on the pedophile angle. Hell, one could even totally fabricate that part. Just get the snowball rolling. (3) As a subset of item 2, one could call or write newspapers, local PACs, schools, etc. Anything to plant the seed. Classic revenge tactics except on a broader and more complex scale. (4) As for the Lone Wolf tactic, a cunning and clever individual could plant "evidence" linking the tags to crime. Not exactly sure how to implement this one.

At first, I was thinking this would need to be cooridinated through several cities. However, if we look at how legislators work we can see that only one area is needed to get the ball rolling. For example, look at the smoking bans. They migrated from CA to NY (or vice versa, not sure) and now Chicago and a myriad of small towns have enacted ordinances. Also, examine the transfat bans.

If a person reversed engineered, so-to-speak, how the government enacts these silly laws, they could either sabotage or manipulate it.

[kodiak31]

I'm not an expert but I believe there exist ways to fuck-up the tags.

Here you go. Use a disposable camera to destroy RFID tags. There is another site out there with very detailed instructions on how to design one but I couldn't find it again.

http://events.ccc.de/congress/2005/wiki/RFID-Zapper%28EN%29

[Gatsby]

I've only got a few words about reactionary.....reactions by sheeple. Patriot Act. If you didn't sign it. You were not a patriot. Now I love this country, but I don't wish to see it turn into an Orwellian dystopia.

[Kaydon]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6389581.stm

We should boycott them.

I'm no patriot. Patriotism is retarded.

[Al Sheik Yerbuti]

I have no idea if this product works, but it sounds interesting:
http://www.rfidwasher.com/
A clever inventor could use the piezo-electric crystal in a lighter and some simple electronic components (a capacitor, a crystal and an inductor) for a handheld zapper. Personally, I'd like to see someone use a portable power supply and a microwave magnetron to create a room-sized EMP pulse and wreak havoc in stores, bus and plane terminals, etc.

[nbk2000]

What you're talking about is a 'tactical' countermeasure to RFID's in your personal space.

I'm talking about a 'strategic' attack against the entire concept of RFID, regardless of who or where it may be used.

[random136]

NBK is right; RFID is, at the moment, simply a new security measure implemented due to cost effectiveness and ease of use. Should there ever be even one major event that gets the attention of our news networks on the national and international levels, the technology will quickly be abolished from its current uses (to the detriment of technologically progressive institutions). It would be as easy as taking one step back; supermarkets would use good old barcodes, where as institutions using RFID for access control would revert back to magnetic stripe cards, biometrics, or even good old mechanical locks with master keyed “high security” key control.

No body denies that RFID is lacking in actual security features; it was simply rushed to the market in order to make a quick buck. Later, when new and improved forms of passive RFID communication were available, it was found that major buyers were not interested in making a second (often equally large) investment in revamping their entire systems for the sake of protection against (what seemed like) isolated and unlikely attacks.

I think the day will come when such a “shocking event” will be acknowledged by our media, but there is no reason why anyone in their right mind should sacrifice their freedom for the sake of everyone else’s privacy. Indeed, these days’ people don’t even need anything past a simplified hypothetical series of events in order to stop trusting certain technologies. Here is one excellent example of that:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/ds/can-the-ds-attract-child-molesters-234928.php

Comments on the story by Penny Arcade, a well known video game commentator:

http://www.penny-arcade.com/2007/02/09

[Frunk]

I don't think RFID is such a bad thing, for one simple reason.

It can be hacked.

Once our entire life hinges on RFID tags, a talented hacker will be able to hack life.

Already shops are relying too much on RFID technology. One can make a magic bag and sneak out of a store with anything. If RFID becomes god, and god says I didn't steal that thing, I'm not guilty. If someone pushes it to the next limit and hacks a credit card to have infinite funds? Or he hacks a RFID tag so that it shutdowns the shop's entire RFID reader infrastructure? (http://www.rfidvirus.org/middleware.html)

Making our life too dependent on technology is a bad idea IMHO, but if it does go through we should try our best to make the authorities regret that decision.

[Emc2]

Is RFID Chip a "read-only" device? ...or could it be re-programmed with different ID numbers at will?

Although, I doubt it's the case, we could have a lots of fun with that option available.

[megalomania]

RFID tags as cheap locating devices for merchandise or quicker alternatives to barcodes is about the farthest the technology should go. I would personally stick one on my remote control.

Using these to broadcast financial information is only trouble waiting to happen. nbk's idea of using a RFID activated detonator triggered to American passports is one frightening example of the direction this technology could be put.

You never hear RFID being used for or suggested to be used for anything good, only bad evil malevolent things the corporations and governments can dream up.

[Frunk]

Using these to broadcast financial information is only trouble waiting to happen. nbk's idea of using a RFID activated detonator triggered to American passports is one frightening example of the direction this technology could be put.


It's already used to pay for stuff at the grocery store in Europe, and it's in some ''fastpay'' gas station cards. I'm begining to believe in Bible code! (http://www.markbeast.com/)! :D (Edit: Even better
(http://www.markbeast.com/mark/mark-beast-verichip.htm)
If you don't like your cards being read by the real terrorists, just make a shielded wallet (http://www.rpi-polymath.com/ducttape/RFIDWallet.php) from Al foil and duct tape. The same principle could be applied to a shielded backpack, although you might want to customize a commercial one. A duct tape backpack is neat, but it stands out way too much.

*Puts on tinfoil hat*

[chemdude1999]

It's already used to pay for stuff at the grocery store in Europe, and it's in some ''fastpay'' gas station cards.

I believe the Mobile Speedpass was the first of these in the states. Not sure about Europe. And IIRC they were quickly hacked.

It is scary that the sheeple, corporations, and FedGov react so quickly to enact new technologies without thorough study. But, then again, that is their overall plan (said or unsaid): To deceive, exploit, and control. It has been done since the beginning of civilization (Catholic Church for one) but people either forget, or the particular incarnation is different enough to avoid detection. OR, people DON'T want to detect/see it.

I'm just thankful the tags require relatively huge antennae. At least for now. We need a different approach when the damn things can be disbursed like particles of dust. We may need to carry personal zappers. Illegally of course.

But I like NBK's plan of turning the FedGov on itself by creating our own brand of fear. Honestly this could be done easily and by few people. Get the little fuckers before they get overwhelming entrenched like DL's and SSN's.

[nbk2000]

http://www.rfidiot.org/

A site about hacking RFID, cloning, etc. And he sells the hardware to do so. :)