Radio Frequency Identification - A Review of Low Cost Tag Security Proposals
---
paper_title: RFID Systems and Security and Privacy Implications

paper_content:

The Auto-ID Center is developing low-cost radio frequency identification (RFID) based systems with the initial application as next generation bar-codes. We describe RFID technology, summarize our approach and our research, and most importantly, describe the research opportunities in RFID for experts in cryptography and information security. The common theme in low-cost RFID systems is that computation resources are very limited, and all aspects of the RFID system are connected to each other. Understanding these connections and the resulting design trade-offs is an important prerequisite to effectively answering the challenges of security and privacy in low-cost RFID systems.
---
paper_title: Communication by Means of Reflected Power

paper_content:

Point-to-point communication, with the carrier power generated at the receiving end and the transmitter replaced by a modulated reflector, represents a transmission system which possesses new and different characteristics. Radio, light, or sound waves (essentially microwaves, infrared, and ultrasonic waves) may be used for the transmission under approximate conditions of specular reflection. The basic theory for reflected power communication is discussed with reference to conventional radar transmission, and the law of propagation is derived and compared with the propagation law for radar. A few different methods for the modulation of reflectors are described, and various laboratory and field test results discussed. A few of the civilian applications of the principle are reviewed. It is believed that the reflected-power communication method may yield one or more of the following characteristics: high directivity, automatic pin-pointing in spite of atmospheric bending, elimination of interference fading, simple voice-transmitter design without tubes and circuits and power supplies, increased security, and simplified means for identification and navigation.
---
paper_title: Communication by Means of Reflected Power

paper_content:

Point-to-point communication, with the carrier power generated at the receiving end and the transmitter replaced by a modulated reflector, represents a transmission system which possesses new and different characteristics. Radio, light, or sound waves (essentially microwaves, infrared, and ultrasonic waves) may be used for the transmission under approximate conditions of specular reflection. The basic theory for reflected power communication is discussed with reference to conventional radar transmission, and the law of propagation is derived and compared with the propagation law for radar. A few different methods for the modulation of reflectors are described, and various laboratory and field test results discussed. A few of the civilian applications of the principle are reviewed. It is believed that the reflected-power communication method may yield one or more of the following characteristics: high directivity, automatic pin-pointing in spite of atmospheric bending, elimination of interference fading, simple voice-transmitter design without tubes and circuits and power supplies, increased security, and simplified means for identification and navigation.
---

Title: Radio Frequency Identification - A Review of Low Cost Tag Security Proposals

Section 1: INTRODUCTION
Description 1: This section introduces RFID technology, its history, uses, market potential, and ongoing developments concerning its costs and implementations.

Section 2: RFID BASICS
Description 2: This section covers the fundamentals of RFID technology, including its components (tags, readers, and antennas) and the differences between active and passive tags.

Section 3: RFID Reader
Description 3: This section details the role and function of the RFID reader within the RFID system, explaining how it interacts with tags and processes data.

Section 4: RFID Antenna
Description 4: This section discusses the types of antennas used in RFID systems and how they affect communication range and effectiveness.

Section 5: SECURING RFID TAGS
Description 5: This section addresses the security challenges faced by RFID systems and surveys several low-cost proposals to secure RFID tags against unauthorized access.

Section 6: Hash-Locking Tags
Description 6: This section explains the hash-locking method proposed by Weis et al., detailing how it locks and unlocks tags using a one-way hashing algorithm.

Section 7: Minimalist Encryption Approach
Description 7: This section describes the minimalist cryptography approach proposed by Juels, which utilizes re-writable tag memory and limited computational power for encryption.

Section 8: Universal Re-encryption Approach
Description 8: This section outlines a re-encryption method based on universal re-encryption that does not require knowledge of a public key, enhancing RFID tag security.

Section 9: Hopper Blum Authentication
Description 9: This section introduces the Hopper-Blum (HB) protocol adapted for RFID authentication, detailing its process and potential vulnerabilities.

Section 10: CONCLUSION
Description 10: This section summarizes the discussed security proposals and emphasizes the need for an adopted standard in securing RFID systems against modern wireless attacks.