Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has drastically transformed how businesses and individuals track assets, access secure areas, and conduct transactions in the best possible manner. From keyless entry systems in hotels and public transit cards to supply chain management, RFID technology has become an integral part of modern security infrastructure. Many businesses and companies use key cards and key fobs for easy access control to their facility while popular brands use RFID labels for anti-counterfeiting and brand protection measures. In the supply chain, RFID tags are used to tag items and packages. Now, when that RFID label is compromised due to cloning, it leads to significant financial losses and a breach of security.
Despite the widespread use of RFID across market verticals, it remains vulnerable to security threats due to RFID cloning, a method used by attackers and cloners to duplicate RFID credentials and gain unauthorized access to sensitive areas and data. RFID cloning not only proves to be a security threat but also compromises product integrity and leads to companies no longer having confidence when implementing RFID. Thus, it becomes essential to understand these threats and mitigate them properly.
Let’s explore RFID cloning, real-world security breaches, and mitigation strategies to strengthen RFID security, access control security, and brand protection.
What is RFID Cloning and How it Works?
RFID cloning involves copying the digital identity stored on an RFID chip and transferring it to another device. As we all know RFID technology works by providing a unique ID to each asset it is affixed with. The unique ID of assets provides the functionality of unique identification and promotes the purpose of an individual entity to an asset. Cloning the RFID tag data could be disastrous for the firms implementing RFID.
It allows the fraudsters to bypass authentication protocols that rely solely on RFID UHF tags. The process of RFID cloning follows three general steps-
1.Skimming: Attackers use an RFID reader to capture the signal emitted by an RFID tag. These readers can be bought online for as little as $50, making it easy for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerable systems.
2. Data Extraction: Once the tag's data is recorded, attackers use software to analyze and manipulate the extracted data.
3. Replication: Next, a blank RFID tag is programmed with the stolen data, effectively cloning the original RFID tag.
RFID cloning technique is particularly concerning for low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) RFID systems, as they often lack strong encryption and authentication mechanisms while NFC (Near Field Communication) and RAIN RFID technology (Passive UHF RFID) are designed with cryptographic keys to prevent cloning.
Real-World Examples of RFID Cloning Attacks
RFID technology is surely vulnerable to attacks and we need to implement RFID with encryption and authentication techniques available in the market so as to keep our data and assets safe. Here are a few cases where RFID cards and key fobs were cloned for nefarious reasons, resulting in huge losses.
1. Public Transit Card Fraud
In 2021, an investigation in London uncovered a black-market operation where cloned Oyster Cards were being sold to commuters. The criminals used RFID readers to skim legitimate card data and create duplicates, causing significant financial losses for the transportation system.
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2. Car Theft via Keyless Entry
A 2022 report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), USA, highlighted a surge in car thefts using relay attacks, a technique where thieves clone RFID-based key fobs. Criminals used RFID signal boosters to relay the signal from a car owner’s key fob to unlock and start vehicles remotely, often in under a minute.
Check for Security Loopholes in Your RFID System
Despite all the advancements and solutions that RFID offers, many RFID-based solutions still suffer from multiple vulnerabilities that make cloning attacks possible. To prevent such attacks, check for these loopholes as discussed below:
1. Lack of Encryption - Many RFID systems, especially older models, transmit data without encryption, allowing attackers to intercept and manipulate signals easily.
2. Fixed UID (Unique Identifier) - Some RFID tags rely on fixed unique identifiers, making them susceptible to replay attacks, where an intercepted signal is reused to gain access.
3. Insufficient Authentication - Systems that do not implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) are more vulnerable to unauthorized cloning.
4. Long-Range Scanning Risks - Attackers can use high-powered RFID readers to overpower the tags and gain unauthorized access. They can scan and capture credentials from several meters away.
How to Prevent RFID Cloning?
One thing that every reputed business or machine manufacturer wants is for its assets to remain accountable and can avoid threats like unauthorized access and control. To counteract the risks posed by RFID cloning, businesses, and individuals should implement robust security measures and techniques.
These techniques present the potential to mitigate the threats of RFID cloning-
1. Advanced Encryption and Authentication
Products based on MIFARE DESFire and ISO 14443 standards use AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption to prevent unauthorized data interception. The protocol complies with NFC forum type 4 Tag and contains a full microchip processor for the execution of data communication protocols.
However, Implementing AES can further enhance security. It is widely adopted in RFID systems due to its robust security features and efficiency. AES is a symmetric encryption algorithm that encrypts data blocks of 128 bits using key sizes of 128, 192, or 256 bits. Its suitability for RFID applications comes from its balance between security and performance, making it feasible for devices with limited computational resources. To prevent cloning, the tags and readers based on ISO 14443 standards use encryption keys to communicate. The reader requests a key and once it receives the correct key from the tag, only then it authorizes the transaction.
2. RFID Blocking Technology
Shielding wallets, cardholders, RFID shielding, and access cards with RFID-blocking materials can prevent unauthorized scanning of RFID credentials. Organizations should also encourage employees to use Faraday pouches for key fobs and access cards, these pouches use the operation capability of Faraday Cages.
3. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Authenticating the users twice provides enhanced security and safety twice times better than the single authentication protocols. Combining RFID access cards with additional security layers, such as biometric authentication, PIN verification, or one-time passwords (OTP), significantly reduces the likelihood of unauthorized entry. The MFA is used by big financial corporations like Mastercard to ensure proper authentication of their products.
4. Regular Security Audits and Testing
Frequent audits reduce the redundancy of assets and further help organizations keep track of assets and their operational capabilities. Organizations should conduct penetration testing and security audits to identify vulnerabilities in their RFID systems. Hiring cybersecurity experts to simulate real-world attacks can expose weaknesses and help improve security policies. These methods and attempts can help in exposing a viable bug in the product and help in mitigation of the problem before actual deployment takes place.
5. Upgrading Legacy Systems
The legacy system holds large chunks of data and algorithms that users and developers rely on. This is why they are put in current use and make the work done for firms. Many industries still rely on outdated RFID systems that lack modern security features.
Upgrading the legacy systems to AES-encrypted RFID solutions and ensuring that firmware and software updates are applied regularly can prevent the exploitation of known vulnerabilities. Firms considering advanced security standards like AES, and PUF (Physical Unclonable Functions) can not only solve current problems but also make the system strong enough to defend against future vulnerabilities.
6. PUF (Physical Unclonable Functions) implementation
The PUF is a hardware-based security mechanism that generates unique unpredictable identifiers based on variation during the manufacturing process of RFID chips. The function provides unmatched capability to avoid the cloning of RFID-based devices like RFID key cards. However, PUF is still in the research and development stage but their implementation in RFID tags is obvious and worth considering.
To summarize, RFID cloning remains a significant security challenge in today’s digital landscape. With growing RFID technology-based automation in businesses and personal spaces, cybercriminals continue to find innovative ways to exploit security loopholes in RFID-based systems. Whether it is ticketing, access control, or item-level tagging, organizations must take proactive steps to enhance encryption, implement multi-layered authentication, and conduct regular security audits to mitigate the risks of RFID cloning.
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