RFID blocking wallets?

I work implementing RFID and other related systems. We've experimented in our lab and have found that skimming in public spaces (e.g., streets, airports, shopping malls) at any distance would require so much power that you could warm a burrito in front of the hacker's antenna. Not really practical... Passports are a different animal - the RFID chip can not be unlocked without a key generated by an optical scan of the open passport page. They are pretty immune from casual skimming.

By the way, RFID tags in the HF and UHF ranges don't require full faraday cages for protection - you only need to place the chips in close proximity to a metal object in order to "detune" the antenna and reduce read range to millimeters. A small sheet of aluminum foil in your wallet should suffice. The makers of RFID blocking wallets and accessories are simply looking to cash in on our paranoia.

In addition, the simplest way to "short circuit" an RFID chip is to poke it with the tip of a sharp knife. A little nick on the IC or the antenna will render it permanently inoperable. They aren't very durable when they are outside their packaging material (e.g., the plastic credit card).

TedP
 
I own a Saddleback Leather wallet, there's about a complete cow in there so good luck scanning my cards :D
 
An excellent post, Mr. Phillipsted. Thank you.

Yesterday's experiments confirmed that a piece of foil or metal held next to the card (made by HID) but not wrapped around it disables it completely... and harmlessly. But, the metal does have to be pretty close to the card; even about an 1/8" gap allows te card to operate. My personal solution is a piece of prepreg cut to the side and shape of a card which can simply be kept in the wallet right next to the card in question. Prepreg is what circuit boards are made of. It's a think layer of FR4 fiberglass with a layer of copper on one side. A thin FR4 is actually flexible as is the copper. So, this works well.
 
Hmmmm. When I renewed my passport a couple of years ago I was advised that it now had a microchip embedded in the document and that it was possible for unauthorised scanning of the passport information to occur.
As a result of the official warning, I purchased a special purpose envelope made from what looks like metallic paper that encloses the passport completely, allegedly shielding it from unauthorised scanning when in a pocket or carryon bag.
It only cost a few dollars (about $5.00 from memory).
Have I been scammed and do I need something like this to safeguard my passport information?
Of all my personal paperwork, the passport is the one I guard the most carefully.
(Anyone stealing info from my credit cards will be bitterly disappointed :D)

Interesting post. Thanks to the OP. :thumbup:
 
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