Comments on: RFID Readers http://www.slampt.net/2010/05/19/rfid-readers/ I think I blogged my pants....... Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:12:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Slampt http://www.slampt.net/2010/05/19/rfid-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Slampt Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:51:53 +0000 http://www.slampt.net/?p=73#comment-8 The current readers on the house only support EM41xx style chips, to they only read. The chip in my hand however is a HitagS 2048, while the authentication mech in this chip is somewhat proprietary, there are ways to get some low level encryption/authentication going. However the reader has to support this. My alarm panel currently only supports their own RFID reader or any reader that outputs wiegand, this makes it hard to add anymore level of security to the system, you still however need to punch in a code to disarm the alarm. I am looking into some other RFID readers from ibtech that apparently you can program up a challenge key in them and then write said key to a section of member on the HitagS so it will then only read the UID if the challenge matches up. Not a huge improvement but given i have 2048 bits (65 pages) to play with you would need to know which page my key lives in. Also you need to be < 2cm away from my hand to read it :P The current readers on the house only support EM41xx style chips, to they only read. The chip in my hand however is a HitagS 2048, while the authentication mech in this chip is somewhat proprietary, there are ways to get some low level encryption/authentication going. However the reader has to support this.
My alarm panel currently only supports their own RFID reader or any reader that outputs wiegand, this makes it hard to add anymore level of security to the system, you still however need to punch in a code to disarm the alarm. I am looking into some other RFID readers from ibtech that apparently you can program up a challenge key in them and then write said key to a section of member on the HitagS so it will then only read the UID if the challenge matches up. Not a huge improvement but given i have 2048 bits (65 pages) to play with you would need to know which page my key lives in.

Also you need to be < 2cm away from my hand to read it :P

]]> By: The (unoffical) Mikrotik site » Blog Archive » Crosspost – RFID enabling your life. http://www.slampt.net/2010/05/19/rfid-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-7 The (unoffical) Mikrotik site » Blog Archive » Crosspost – RFID enabling your life. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:10:03 +0000 http://www.slampt.net/?p=73#comment-7 [...] http://www.slampt.net/2010/05/19/rfid-readers/ [Translate] [...] [...] http://www.slampt.net/2010/05/19/rfid-readers/ [Translate] [...]

]]> By: omegatron http://www.slampt.net/2010/05/19/rfid-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-6 omegatron Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:34:29 +0000 http://www.slampt.net/?p=73#comment-6 Out of interest, do the reader's you're using double as writers? It seems to me that given the ability to read rfid tags from a short distance(1), that it would be a better idea to update the code on your tag each time it was read/acknowledged. This would mean that *if* someone did get a copy of the key, they'd have a very limited window within which to use it. Obv thou if you're working with more than one lock then you'd either a) have to work out some way of ensuring all readers got an updated code or b) break the code up somehow as to be recognisable by each reader with their current code independently. (1) Don't get me wrong, an RFID tag is much better security than a key IMHO simply due to there being a limited number of people who can understand and attempt to break in. Compared with physical key security problems (bump key, lockpick set, etc etc) it's a great idea. Out of interest, do the reader’s you’re using double as writers?

It seems to me that given the ability to read rfid tags from a short distance(1), that it would be a better idea to update the code on your tag each time it was read/acknowledged. This would mean that *if* someone did get a copy of the key, they’d have a very limited window within which to use it. Obv thou if you’re working with more than one lock then you’d either a) have to work out some way of ensuring all readers got an updated code or b) break the code up somehow as to be recognisable by each reader with their current code independently.

(1) Don’t get me wrong, an RFID tag is much better security than a key IMHO simply due to there being a limited number of people who can understand and attempt to break in. Compared with physical key security problems (bump key, lockpick set, etc etc) it’s a great idea.

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