Introduction
Radio
frequency
identification
(RFID)
is
a
technology
for
the
automated
identification
of
physical
entities
using
radio
frequency
transmissions.
Typically,
RFID
systems
consist
of
RFID
devices
or
so
called
tags,
RFID
readers
or
interrogators,
and
backend
networks.
An
RFID
tag
is
a
simple
and
low-cost
electronic
device
(transponder)
that
is
attached
to
a
physical
object
for
wireless
data
transmission.
It
transmits
data
over
the
air
in
response
to
interrogation
by
an
RFID
reader.
An
RFID
reader
is
a
more
powerful
device
(transceiver)
that
can
queue
data
stored
in
tags.
Multiple
readers
can
then
connect
to
a
network
that
acts
as
a
data
processing
subsystem
and
database.
In
the
past
ten
years,
RFID
systems
have
gained
popularity
in
many
applications,
such
as
supply
chain
management,
library
systems,
e-passports,
contactless
cards
(e.g.,
proximity
cards,
automated
toll-payment
transponders,
and
payment
tokens),
identification
systems,
and
human
implantation
(such
as
medical-record
indexing,
and
physical
access
control).
Future
applications
could
include
smart
appliances,
shopping,
and
medication
compliance
monitoring.
RFID
is
one
of
the
most
promising
technologies
in
the
field
of
ubiquitous
and
pervasive
computing.
Many
new
applications
can
be
created
by
embedding
an
object
with
RFID
tags.
However,
the
rapid
development
of
RFID
systems
raises
serious
privacy
and
security
concerns
that
could
prevent
the
benefits
of
RFID
technology
from
being
fully
utilized.
The
concerns
about
RFID
systems
arise
from
a)
privacy
concerns
of
users
about
clandestine
physical
tracking
and
inventorying
of
tags;
b)
authentication
problems
from
counterfeit
or
cloned
tags;
and
c)
communication
attacks:
jamming,
traffic
analysis,
spoofing,
eavesdropping,
relay
or
man-in-the-middle
attacks,
denial
of
service
attacks,
and
side-channel
attacks,
all
of
which
are
easy
to
launch
for
both
RFID
tags
and
readers.
Overcoming
these
concerns
will
be
a
significant
challenge,
because
RFID
tags
do
not
have
sufficient
computational
power
and
memory
capacity
to
support
standard
cryptographic
primitives.
Research topics
- Physical layer assisted privacy protection in RFID systems
- Lightweight crypto engine based core security functions for FRID Security