RFID Security: A Taxonomy of Risk

Radio frequency identification (RFID) and other automated identification technologies (AIT) are being used by government and industry to replace barcodes and existing pen and paper processes in areas such as asset tracking, toll collection, supply chain automation, border and port security, and cargo and container tracking. The diversity and scope of RFID and related technologies makes security an increasingly important consideration. In most implementations, RFID is being used as a core technology to support the automation of business processes that are critical to the success of the organization. Comprehensive threat models, however, do not yet exist for RFID systems, making it difficult for system designers and operators to effectively manage risk. This paper proposes a taxonomy for classifying the security risks associated with RFID systems.