Wary of RFID? … This will scare you silly

Anyone who has ever expressed the slightest concern about the security and privacy issues surrounding RFID needs to read this story in Wired: “The RFID Hacking Underground … They can steal your smartcard, lift your passport, jack your car, even clone the chip in your arm. And you won’t feel a thing.”

It’s equal parts fascinating and chilling.

“The world of RFID is like the Internet in its early stages,” says Ari Juels, research manager at the high tech security firm RSA Labs. “Nobody thought about building security features into the Internet in advance, and now we’re paying for it in viruses and other attacks. We’re likely to see the same thing with RFIDs.”

Don’t miss the part where a German security expert opens an RFID-enabled hotel room door using a box of cream cheese.