Smart Card Group Clarifies RFID Hack

Smart Card Alliance wants review of the use of EPC Gen 2 RFID technology in U.S. travel documents and only supports solutions that provide protection of privacy and identity. ...

... "The Passport Cards and EDLs that were the subject of this scanning demonstration use long range, insecure, EPC Gen 2 RFID tags, which lack encryption and authentication. It is not surprising this researcher could remotely read Passport Cards, because the RFID tag technology used in them was actually designed for tracking objects at long distances and is used mostly in manufacturing and shipping. These RFID tags have minimal built-in support for security and privacy and, for that reason, the State Department issues Passport Cards with protective sleeves to prevent them from being read when not in use. " ...

Via Smart Card Alliance: Alliance Clarifies Electronic Passport Technology