Security Breach: Is Your Business Protected? Why RFID Card Systems Fail

With every new technology, comes a way to beat it. Some of those ways are surprisingly low tech. One of the most popular forms of access control is RFID cards. They are simple and cheaper than other forms. This article will show how even the most popular forms of security can easily be fooled.

This article is not going to tell you how to pick a lock or break into the CIA. The intention is to inform business before spending thousands on a security system that can easily be fooled.

One of the newest and most popular technologies in security is RFID security systems. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. Most RFID systems use a card or ID badge with a RFID transmitter inside. These transmitters are very small and can be placed into anything from these ID Cards to watches, cell phones, even under the skin. The user simply waves the card /watch/ phone/ hand at the reader and the reader identifies the user as valid or invalid and permits or does not permit access. Seams secure, but RFID transmitters can easily be copied. A simple reader and writer and a laptop can copy a RFID card in seconds without ever actually possessing the card, as the transmitter is always transmitting and can be picked up by anyone within approximately 1 foot, such as airport lines. This is a severe security risk, as it requires no breaking or cracking. It simply requires a thief and a laptop to be within 1 foot or so of the card to copy it. A contractor or employee who legitimately works within the building could easily copy the RFID card in seconds with a laptop, allowing them permanent access to the building.

These readers are usually only placed on one side of the door. On the other is some type of exit request switch. This can be in the form of a button that the user simply presses, or it can be an Infrared motion sensor placed above the door. This motion sensor makes exiting the door seamless; however it creates a very large security risk. The Infrared sensors detect motion and can simply be tricked by sliding a newspaper under the door. This creates movement on the other side under the sensor. This in turn opens the door to any an unwanted intruder.

Most RFID security systems also employ some type of entry alarm. If the door is improperly opened, such as an emergency exit that is not regularly used, an alarm sounds, alerting security to the situation. However secure it may sound, this is also easily bypassed. This system consists of a sensor on the door frame and a magnet on the door. When the magnet is removed, the alarm is triggered in the system. Simple bypass: place a magnet on the sensor. This tricks the sensor into thinking the door is secure. If you do not have a magnet, simply remove the one that is on the door and tape it to the sensor.

RFID card systems are used in hundreds of companies including law offices, banks, insurance companies, and retail headquarters. Why? Because RFID is a cheaper alternative to the much more expensive and more secure systems.