RFID reader resists eavesdropping

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team May 30, 2005

Integrated Engineering has developed an anti-eavesdropping chip reader for preventing the possibility of eavesdropping on privacy sensitive information contained on a passport.

Integrated Engineering has developed an anti-eavesdropping chip reader for preventing the possibility of eavesdropping on privacy sensitive information contained on a passport.

The company proved to have a mature anti-eavesdropping device on the last e-passport inter operability tests in Tsukaba, Japan.

Governments within ICAO have decided for security and easy border passage to introduce a RFID chip within passports.

As governments have decided to use both encrypted and nonencrypted data on the e-passport chips, the chips exposes passport holders to privacy risks, such as eavesdropping.

The data in the electronic/RFID chip can be protected from unauthorised access via Basic Access Control (BAC) and or shielding.

Without BAC the data are not encrypted.

Both security features only provide protection against unauthorised access of the RFID data.

The moment the data is read by an authorised reader, and not using BAC, the data are transmitted without additional security and could be eavesdropped on.

Integrated Engineering's anti-eavesdropping device prevents the collection and interpretation, for example at a border checkpoint, of the passport's chip data during the communication between the e-passport and the reader.

JP Hulsker, Managing Director of Integrated Engineering, remarks: "The eavesdropping risk is very real".

"It can even influence the success of the introduction and the confidence of the public in the e-passport".

"With our anti-eavesdropping device we can assure the privacy of the information in the passport when it is read by our device".

At the same time Integrated Engineering also introduces a new solution for reading RFID chips with optical passport scanners.

The solution provides the ability for a single reading operation for the optical and for the RFID information for all passport chips and operating systems, even when the passport is equipped with shielding.

With the addition of the two new solutions, Integrated Engineering expands its range of contact less smart card products and services.

Integrated Engineering offers a full range of e-passport reader solutions from ready to use readers to OEM modules with integrated and external tunable antenna's and software development suites.