Tamper-proof RFID tags

Tamper-proof RFID tags

Radio-frequency identification technologies offer tremendous potential benefits for anyone who needs to identify, track and
ensure the security of everything from tools and equipment to shipment containers passing through the world's ports.

However, until manufacturers begin building RFID capabilities directly into products, the technology has one major Achilles heel:
RFID tags can be removed.

'Standard, off-the-shelf tags have no tamper-evident capability at all incorporated into them 'You can take your fingers
and peel it right off and put it on a surface.'

In some cases, if the adhesive is strong, you may need to use a hair dryer and a razor blade to remove the tag.

That won't work with all RFID tags. Active RFID tags, unlike passive RFID tags, can transmit data about their location
and status and can be configured to report if they've been tampered with. But active RFID tags are also more expensive '
often 10 to 100 times more expensive ' than passive tags.

That leaves a major tradeoff between cost and security.

We have come up with a low-cost solution that makes tamper-evident tags much more affordable.

The company's Smart & Secure Insight passive RFID tags use a layereddesign, and removing the tags from an object compromises the RFID electronics. If someone attempts to read the RFID tag, one of two things will happen, depending on the specific model tag employed:the tag will be unreadable or will deliver a message that it has been tampered with.

In a project that began last summer, an RFID tag that carries data about vehicle registration status is attached to the
windshield of all vehicles.

The tags can be read as far away as 30 feet. A police officercan take appropriate detection if he or she detects that a
vehicle's registration is expired ' or that the RFID tag has been removed or tampered with.