DEARO has just launched their new RFID Blocking Sleeves for the protection of confidential, personal and financial card-based data. year, developments in technology are advancing the lives of millions around the world. But, simultaneously, there are those who choose to exploit this advancement and use it only for their own personal gain. One of the most obvious crimes of the modern day is the theft of confidential, personal and financial information stored in bank cards and other smart cards. With technology improving continuously, thieves can get hold of card-based data via electromagnetic interference using any device within range.
Most modern day credit and debit cards, identification, membership and gym cards, employee, school and library cards, along with passports, access cards, security cards, licenses, parking passes and medical cards contain something called a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Chip.
What is an RFID chip? Simply, it is a very small piece of technology that is embedded into smart cards that uses radio frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data in order to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects.
This might be a bit of a mouthful, but simply put, the RFID chip is where all the confidential, personal and/or financial information of an individual is stored in their bank cards and other smart cards.
Indisputably, this is a remarkable development in technology and an incredible method of storing almost unlimited quantities of information in a small space. However, the other side of such development means that thieves are taking advantage of this - using very similar technology to tap into personal data using scanning devices that are virtually undetectable and do not even need to come within a particularly close distance to an individual’s cards. The definition of this type of theft is “the act of compromising an individual's personal identifying information using wireless (radio frequency) mechanics” (Ref. Heydt-Benjamin, Thomas S; Bailey, Daniel V; Fu, Keven E; Juels, Ari & O’Hare, Tom Vulnerabilities in First-Generation RFID-enabled Credit Cards[dead link], University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA; RSA Laboratories, Bedford, MA; Innealta, Inc. Salem, MA; Innealta.com, draft study dated October 22, 2006, retrieved 2009-03-14; A copy of the document can be obtained at Vulnerabilities in First-Generation RFID-enabled Credit Cards)
RFID-enabled cards respond to certain radio frequencies, which when come into contact with other radio waves send out an altered frequency, easily picked up by wireless theft devices which could be something as simple as a reprogrammed mobile phone. This altered frequency response can contain personal information from cards such as name, address, bank details and security numbers, which can then be moved by thieves onto other cards, which are reprogrammed with that information and thus will gain act in the same fashion to the original card (i.e. gaining access to bank accounts and other secure data). This is known as ‘cloning’, and unfortunately there are many websites and organised groups out there solely dedicated to teaching thieves how to do this.
It is obvious then, that in this day and age, protecting personal information from electronic interference is of the utmost importance. These RFID blocking sleeves are designed to hold an individual card or document, and are coated with an aluminum ‘shield’ inside the sleeve, which blocks electromagnetic interference from devices used by thieves – therefore stopping data from being stolen and ensuring the protection of financial and personal information.
DEARO takes pride in providing security and peace of mind in an affordable, efficient and convenient way through the use of RFID blocking sleeves. These unassuming sleeves are lightweight, waterproof and durable – a simple solution for a growing problem.
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If you would like more information about RFID and protecting your confidential data, you can find more information on this great informative page