Contactless, RFID, NFC, what's it to you?

Contactless cards, RFID blocking, NFC enabled; what does the jargon mean and how does it affect your everyday life?

 

• Contactless cards, “contactless” has become the generic term in the banking industry for the type of payment system where you simply wave your credit or debit card close to a payment terminal which uses radio waves to link with your bank card to collect payment. The bank card has a microchip embedded that is activated by the radio waves and allows interrogation of the data contained in the chip. Designed to be speedy you do not need to enter a PIN number or signature. The maximum amount you can spend in one transaction varies around the world, for example Australia’s limit is $100 where the UK currently allows £20. Expect these limits to increase as the system becomes more widespread. You can identify a contactless credit card by the “Wi-Fi” symbol on the front of the card.

 

RFID blocking, RFID or Radio Frequency Identification is the two way communication between for example the payment terminal and the contactless card. There are two main frequencies for RFID. Bank cards and passports operate on the 13.56Mhz frequency. The terminal “identifies” the card the card carries identification data. RFID blocking is as it sounds blocking or preventing the radio signal from interacting with the contactless chip embedded in the bank card.

 

• NFC enabled; NFC is near field communication, allowing exchange of data between two or more devices in close proximity. Modern android phones are good examples of a device you may own that has NFC functionability in other words NFC enabled.

What can you do with your contactless card? Well the rapid payment technology means you can pay at the checkout in around 5 seconds, Whizz through the M6 toll just by waving your card close to the toll machine, travel on London buses and very soon the London underground along with many other regional transport systems without the need to fumble around for the right money. Simply wave and pay.

 

So we have bank cards and passports in growing numbers (over 30Million bank cards in UK alone) and a world full of devices that can communicate with the data chip contained. Just take a look in the App store and find apps that will read your bank details and your biometric or e-passport data. If you have an NFC enabled phone why not try it yourself.

 

The UK has seen many press articles, radio even TV reports regarding accidental scanning in stores and on transport systems so a problem has already been identified. Your card may be debited while still in your purse or wallet even though you wanted to use cash or a different bank card. here's an example London buses charge wrong card

 

We are constantly hearing reports about bank security being attacked at all levels including high level cybercrime. Think about the technical implications of having your data accessible to eavesdropping by radio scanners. Even someone stood alongside you with a mobile phone or laptop bag may be NFC enabled. We expect that attempts will be made to crack the security of this system as criminal gangs use more and more advanced and audacious methods to steal money and data. Sign up for alerts here ALERTS 

A £20 theft from a bank card may not trouble most people for a long time but the theft of a person’s identity is a far more serious issue, in some cases it takes years to resolve. A recent study showed for example that 1 in 14 Americans were victims of credit card identity fraud. 

Sign up to our e-mail alerts and we will keep you updated with the latest frauds and scams doing the rounds, and with developments in how to keep your identity and valuables safe. It’s free and you can expect an update around once per month with emergency alerts if we see a particularly dangerous fraud threat. 

Sign up now at www.gizmopromotions.co.uk

 

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Take a look at these shields to protect your contactless cards.

 

 

 

Contactless payments on the tube

It won’t be long now until contactless credit and debit cards will be accepted for payment on the London underground. You can read about the implementation of this payment method here; Standard.

Despite the claims of security the main reason for the use of this type of card has to be speed of movement of passengers, anyone who has travelled the tube will understand the need to move people quickly through the gates and what happens when gates get blocked so this really does look like an advantageous system. However we have already had reports of accidental scanning of cards at other outlets such as Marks and Spencer etc, read more here; Guardian.

 

If you present two different cards on entry and exit most likely you will be debited on both cards. If you don’t realise this and claim it back then you will lose out. How much time will it take you to go through such a claim? How easy will TFL make it?

 

 

What about the security of cards? Yes they are highly encrypted, but surely anything that is coded by humans can be decoded. Researchers at the university of Surrey have been conducting experiments into the scanning of contactless credit and debit cards, their research shows that this is a technical possibility and as our regular visitors to our site www.gizmopromotions.co.uk will know we already demonstrate that free Apps are available to download that enable android Smartphone’s to communicate with and extract information from contactless bank cards and biometric passports. These apps currently work within legal parameters but there are enough tech savvy people out there on the Dark side who will try to crack any security measures. A great example is the recent attacks on computers in Santander and Barclays branches in London.

 

So how do you guard against accidental or fraudulent scanning of your contactless bank card? (The ones with a Wi-Fi symbol on the front). You could wrap your card in Tin foil or nuke it in the microwave as some more extreme solutions or you could take simple low cost measures. The VoyagerBlue contactless credit card shield sits in your wallet or purse right next to your contactless bank card. It blocks the radio signal from official terminals or from someone trying to read it with a scanner you are unaware of.

Using your card normally and speeding through the gate is simple, take it out of your wallet or purse to use and then replace next to the shield, keeping you in control and making sure your valuable money and data is secure at all other times.

 

Take a look at the shields and decide for yourself, for less than £5 you can prevent unwanted scanning, either accidental or fraudulent. You can also take a look for our new products about to launch to prevent loss of your wallet. WalletTag will alert you in seconds if you become separated from your wallet/purse passport etc.

 

See a selection of video on our YouTube page

 

 

Contactless, Scare stories our balanced view.

The recent Stories about contactless cards have generated a great amount of interest from both sides of the fence. A lot of what has been said is made out to be from one kind of expert or another. Watchdog, Radio 4, The Mail etc. 

                                                      www.gizmopromotions.co.uk

To let you know where our expertise comes from; the inventor of VoyagerBlue; Andre Kay spent 30 years presenting and supplying authentication technologies to government, airlines and airports for the detection counterfeit or altered travel documents.

His invention of a shielding solution specific for 13.56 MHZ – ISO 14443 Type A&B started more than six years ago, way before most of the card providers actually provided contactless credit and debit cards. It took many years of development and almost 5 years to get the patent granted; it was a lengthy, complex process. 

Taking the issue very seriously and rather than simple select a technology that might do the job e.g. tin foil or a metallic wallet , VoyagerBlue employed the academic services of the University of Bolton to develop a technology that they and we now know, does the job! Proven! Check out many of the articles on the web which say some products (i.e. wallets sleeves etc) work to different levels and some are not good at all.  

VoyagerBlue has been tested and retested and it works. See the video demonstration here. VIDEO DEMO 

Like antivirus software, we provide a solution that works well, is specifically designed to block (RF) radio frequencies communication with contactless cards without your knowledge and if the public feel a threat, driven by news coverage, yet substantiated by Universities such as Newcastle Universities Department of Cyber Crime & Computer Sciences and wish to buy a solution that gives them peace of mind and protection, we have that with our VoyagerBlue credit card and passport shields. 

We are fully aware that bank security experts place a high value on security. However it is our understanding from numerous cryptologists and cryptanalysts, if it was coded by a human, it can be decoded by a human. I think most people are also aware that organised crime gangs also put a high value on breaking that security. We can assure you the level of sophistication of these very well organised and well financed criminal groups is perhaps equal to that of government departments and many banks. For example the $45Million Heist a few weeks ago was completed by hacking into a banks security system and cloning cards.

 

We also know that banks send out contactless cards in “shielded envelopes” so they must envisage some “threat”.

 

It is public knowledge that modern android phones have the technology to scan contactless bank cards and passports with any number of extremely talented “apps” experts out there both professional and amateur it is not beyond the realms that some may want to use their skills for non legitimate reasons.

We do believe contactless cards have a lot to offer, for example on travel networks skimming through pay points without hesitation. We also know that the nature of the contactless chip which is only activated by scanner signal allows it to be contacted by a signal from unauthorised sources. If that signal also carries the correct method of releasing the information contained on the card then the data will be passed. Watch video of Oystercard use with VoyagerBlue here. OYSTER?VOYAGER 

The VoyagerBlue card although technically advanced actually does a very simple task. It makes your contactless card or passport invisible until you want to use it. Simply put it next to your contactless bank card in your wallet or purse. When you want to use the card safely remove from wallet and tap the payment terminal with your contactless card remembering to place back next to the shield to keep your data safe. 

The flexibility of our production allows you to purchase a standard design card which at £4.99 is low cost for such a potentially high value security solution. (Antivirus for your computer is around £30-£40 a year!) 

Or if you desire you can personalise your card with your own unique image.


 

 

Corporate clients can design the card to carry their brand message and benefit from volume production rates. An ideal and innovative item of corporate merchandising. 

We offer a CHOICE in this increasingly technological and “snooping” world to keep a little part of our lives INVISIBLE.

VISIT US AT www.gizmopromotions.co.uk

RFID protection and its promotional use.

There is a major change in the technology of many bank cards, hotel room keys loyalty cards etc. Read here how you can make a stronghold of your wallet or purse to protect your ID. And how you can use the patented VoyagerBlue cards as innovative and useful corporate merchandise to promote your own business.
Patented VoyagerBlue featured on BBC radio2  on the Simon Mayo drivetime show http://goo.gl/EHg9N
The increase in contactless data transfer technology - on our passports, credit / payment cards, loyalty cards and other forms of direct and indirect identity - are all designed to aid efficiency and reduce waiting times. However, each of these technologies lends themselves to sniffing, eavesdropping and skimming - which can be very costly to your personal data.
RFID protection is important because It has been demonstrated that in many cases, this data can be inconspicuously skimmed by the person stood next to you, using a modern mobile phone and apps which are readily available. Copied cards can be printed in minutes using commercially available (and cheap) card printers and re-writers. CBS news reports that every 79 seconds, a thief steals someone's identity.
In London we have first hand accounts of transport system readers accidentally scanning bank cards rather than correctly reading travel cards.  http://goo.gl/fWJvQ and http://goo.gl/RR4R2 are recent articles about this issue.
Prevention is better than cure, and the only effective way to shield your contactless data from theft is by denying access. While there are less conventional methods of achieving this (such as wrapping your cards in tin foil), the patented design of the removable VoyagerBlue shields provides optimal protection in a manner which does not conflict with the convenience of the use of your contactless devices.
With considerable experience in developing and selling technology solutions for government, aviation and the military, we wanted to develop a solution which protected electronic devices working in the 13.56MHz range, including e-Passports, credit/debit/payment cards (including Oyster and sQuid), and electronic identity cards and passes.
VoyagerBlues extensive research with partners including advanced fabric development and transmission experts at the University of Bolton, Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus, and the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council resulted in a family of patented products to protect sensitive personal data.
The solution is manufactured from very tough fabric, laminated for surface printing and has the appearance and feel of a standard card - all aspects which are protected in our patents. It is designed to be as thin as possible, ensuring easy insertion into a wallet or passport while providing the maximum protection for data held within the chip.
Further to our current product range, we continue to work with a wide range of partners in the development of the VoyagerBlue product range and other solutions. Should you have any partnering interests in the development or exploitation of technical products, don't hesitate to contact us.
How It Works
All of your contactless devices contain a chip and antenna embedded in the body of the device - this is separate to the contact chip you often see on the surface. When the card is brought into the proximity of a reading device, the reader's electromagnetic field provides power to the contactless chip and a wireless data transfer protocol is initiated with the intent of data transfer.
The majority of contactless devices operate on a frequency of 13.56MHz, consistent with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard. Although this provides an activation distance of approximately 10cm (4ins), this depends on factors including the power within the receiver and size of antenna. Read distances in excess on 1m have been achieved.

Other shielding options effectively "wrap" the chip in a protective material, completely preventing access to the antenna; solutions include wallets and the use of foil which is effective, but often impractical.
VoyagerBlue  take a more innovative approach - our fabric provides an extremely high attenuation rate decreasing the strength of the reader's electromagnetic field and hence preventing communication between the reader and contactless devices.
This has proven to work when placed in front of (and covering) contactless devices, and is less intrusive than individual wallets for each card / passport. The contactless device can be made active by separating the card and shield - effectively taking the chip and antenna out of the protective proximity of the energy-absorbing fabric.
So how can Gizmo and VoyagerBlue help you promote your business?

The cards are available in credit card size and passport size. They can be fully printed on both sides giving you an excellent print area compared to many popular promotional; items such as pens or USB sticks. You can choose to print on one or both sides and we have an optional standard instruction design if you prefer.
Credit card shields give you the opportunity to get your brand in your customers wallet, and unlike other promotional gifts that have a fairly limited life the card will last at least as long as a regular credit card.
The passport shields which are the same size as a standard passport offer even more printing space for your corporate message. Ideal for promoting your brand, and an innovative new product that  will get your clients talking. These remarkable available from minimums of just 50 to any amount.  Promotional merchandise enquiries visit here. http://goo.gl/17ipi
Or if you just want to protect yourself and your family visit our retail site where you can even personalise your  VoyagerBlue shield with family pictures or your favourite holiday snap, you choose.  You can buy VoyagerBlue here. http://goo.gl/lJ6Vn

I thought I would keep you up to date with our progress following our successful first trade show at the Trade Only National Show at the Ricoh arena and also chat a little about our efforts and learning curve in the area of social media.

 

Firstly the show, we had a small booth in one of the outer halls, I think there were five in all, I say think because we were busy pretty much from start to finish, I never got chance to look around, That’s a result in my book in fact we had people look us up after hearing about our innovative products. We even had people coming to visit because they had personal instances of contactless bank card scanning and wanted to discuss VoyagerBlue.

 

We have been following up every lead and in fact we had e-mailed every visitor by the Tuesday following the show. We would like to thank all those who took time out to speak with us. Next year a bigger stand and more staff hopefully.

 

On to the social media side and everyone knows how important this has become. We now have quite a list of sites and links and feeds that strengthen our online presence and would say we have covered the most important ones. Having researched and taken advice we would agree that the following are vital. Facebook page it takes some time to get going but we consider it vital, Twitter more immediate than Facebook and it becomes quite a snowball effect but you can find great advice, contacts and resources if you search and use it well. We also have a BLOG here and on a separate site and also use Quora to post and interact with other likeminded individuals and businesses.

 

Google+ is possibly underestimated, given the power of Google and the threat of a new Facebook search engine it’s likely that Google+ will receive a lot of attention from its parent, ignore at your peril.

 

Pintrest and pearltrees are a little more of a catalogue and unknown quantity yet for us but we are there and we will review later in the year to see what benefit we derive. Pintrest certainly has rave reviews.

 

In addition we have YouTube which we launched our first “silent” movies on recently. It’s a start and soon we will be adding more video. Again this has been touted as a must have for business.

 

Of all the above Twitter and our own website are having the most effect so far and we are encouraged by the efforts of U-do an ethics based website and marketplace, if you are a small company or organisation maybe give them a try. They seem to be quite energetic in promoting their members.

 

Of course all the above only really cost time that means it can be expensive even if not in cash. However the rewards are there if you go after them and if you don’t someone else will. The last piece of advice is to get some social media software that allows you to post on all your sites and schedule the timings of your posts. We are trialling Virulheat at present. That does take away some of the hours you may spend posting to individual sites one after another.

 

Have a great February see you all soon, Gizmo.

 

 

Contactless Technology Update

 

The New Year is well and truly underway and we are rapidly approaching our first Trade Only Show in Coventry at the Ricoh Arena on the 23^rd and 24^th of January. It’s exciting to be meeting so many people and have the opportunity to discuss and demonstrate the VoyagerBlue® range with so many people. The demonstration has a much greater impact than any leaflet or e-mail could ever have.

 

Seeing the look on someone’s face when you show them your Smart phone reading a passport and having every detail come up; passport No, date of birth, expiry date and most convincing the digital photo. This is all done with a free app downloadable from the web. Why not try it for yourself if your phone is NFC enabled (I Phones are not)

Here’s an app that will do it...NFC Reader

 

This will also ping bank cards, both debit and credit that have NFC technology but this free app won’t steal anyone’s cash so don’t worry. Makes you think though doesn’t it? If we can do this then what about the likelihood of someone getting hold of an illegal version that will access data and even make a debit. There are App developers around the world and how would you suspect a person stood next to you with a mobile phone, it’s a normal occurrence but they “could be scanning your contactless data” There are over 250 Million contactless bank cards in circulation and its growing everyday as these cards replace old chip and pin only cards. 25Million UK customers have a contactless bank card. So there is a huge potential market for fraudsters.

 

 

 

There is also accidental scanning, only this week we heard of someone reaching across the counter at a popular coffee shop chain for a napkin, he went close by the terminal for the next till with his wallet in hand and accidentally paid for another customers bill on this other till.

 

London transport has installed 8500 terminals on London buses and admits in a BBC interview that accidental scanning may take place. In other words you may wish to pay on Oyster yet get debited from your bank or credit card. If this is easily done then how easy is all this for the less scrupulous?

 

There are a number of articles on the web about protecting your card with TIN FOIL.

However this web page written by a young science enthusiast proves that it does not work efficiently, have a look at this http://www.omniscienceisbliss.org/rfid.html for more detail.

 

Finally and potentially equally an opportunity for fraudsters is the fact that many hotel room keys are being switched to the same technology, illicit scanning and cloning of your room key is a possibility. We will let you know more on this as we explore the Apps available, we have had word of a hotel key App already so as soon as we have researched this we will let you know. Watch out for updates on this issue. We do know that some of the bigger chains in the UK are using this technology

Including one of the premier budget groups if you get my drift! Checkout our Facebook page and our photographic competition

 

See you soon with more updates

 

Gizmo