How Can You Safeguard Valuable Data from RFID Theft?

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology is present in your bank credit and debit cards, library books, driver’s license, passport, and security tags. These chips hold confidential data for fast identification purposes. Nowadays, one can even leverage the technology to make cashless payments. However, the technology has its share of problems. For starters, the sensitive details present in RFID chips can be misused by hackers, leading to financial or identity theft. Also, the devices that scammers use for accessing private information are readily available, which raises plenty of security concerns. The question is, how does one avoid falling prey to such unethical practices? Well, there are certain RFID shielding materials capable of safeguarding all your private information, including your address, social security number, and date of birth.

Why are RFID Shielding Materials Becoming Popular?

RFID theft normally occurs in busy or crowded areas such as public transportation, pubs, shopping malls, bars, hotels, and airports. The worst part is, you need not use your bank cards or passport at these places for your information to get leaked; a hacker can access your private data while you’re carrying your cards or passport in your bag and wallet. All they have to do is walk close to you and hold the RFID reader close to your briefcase, bag, or wallet. This is exactly the reason why the demand for RFID shielding is on the rise. And to meet this growing demand, shielding manufacturers and material suppliers are developing innovative RFID shields that effectively stop the theft of information in busy marketplaces.

RFID Shielding Best Practices

Radio signals emitted by RFID readers cannot penetrate the RFID shielding materials, thereby deterring scammers who intend to steal data. But you still exercise caution when carrying your credit/debit cards and passport in public.

Inspect Your Credit Cards: Check whether your credit cards feature RFID chips or not. You can get this information from the card company. Markings like ‘PayPass’ on your card also indicates the presence of an RFID chip.

Use RFID Shielding Technology: Many people believe it’s possible to protect their wallets and credit cards by wrapping them in aluminum foil. But this is nothing more than a myth. The process of covering your wallet and card with foil is both inconvenient and futile, doing absolutely nothing to prevent hackers from scanning the same. Faraday cages are excellent at shielding, but they don’t stay active for long. Save yourself the trouble and purchase RFID shielding products instead. They are easily available and come in different shapes and forms – from pockets to neck wallets, sleeves to money belts.

Keep All Your RFID Cards in One Place: Always keep your RFID-enabled cards together in your wallet or pouch. Hackers find it harder to scan a bunch of cards and get the details of a specific chip.

We are currently living in the age of technology, and our personal information is now present in chips. But unscrupulous people can extract these sensitive details, thanks to the easily available RFID readers. To prevent data theft, we must use RFID shielding products. These add a layer of protection that scanners are unable to bypass, thereby keeping your identity and financial data safe and sound.

Elvis Moore is an active blogger with an extensive industry experience in the field of electronics and technology.