Management of IT, Radio Frequency Identification - Essay Example

Management of IT, radio frequency identification Identification has been a very rigid and significant requirement by companies and industries in the modern world. Verification of an individual's personal information is akin to knowing that person's efficiency and dedication to work as some psychologists have pointed out. There are many methods of identification that exists today ranging from simple physical identification (ID) cards to devices that employ sophisticated microchip and radio frequency technology. RFID technology is on the move today, being one of the fastest growing and developing identification technologies available. It promises to solve many problems associated with old identification technologies and provide help to other aspects of everyday life where it can be applied. Future utilities of RFID include law enforcement, disaster prevention, security and many others. It is also seen as the solution that will replace the cumbersome and clunky barcode system that is in use today, providing a quicker and more accurate way of keeping inventories and at the same time decreasing labour costs. These potentials are backed up by ever improving processor technology and decreasing prices for RFID receiver and tag systems, a trend that it shares with Personal Computers. By far, the use of these new identification technologies has been controversial and that future repercussions are looked upon with dread and other negative reactions. 'Threats' exists in the use of RFID technology which may prove to be very alarming and disturbing for human society. Already, the use of RFID has been met with much criticism and negative reactions. This paper discusses the basics of RFID, what it really is, and what is its uses and significance to human society. Discussed herein is a thorough examination of the workings of a RFID tag and receiver system, the science behind those concepts and some comments from professionals studying the field. Also discussed herein are the possible future uses and repercussions that the society may face with the use of RFIDs along with negative reactions from sceptics and critics alike regarding the use of this particular technology. This work was made possible through the use of documents, books and other printed material as well as Internet website as references. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification which is a very effective and modern system of finding and identifying objects or even organisms. RFID has a lot of uses and is applied to various fields such as criminology, law enforcement, office application etc. It works by 'tagging' and object with either a passive or active tag which can be identified by a RFID reader using radio waves. The tags are powered by the RFID receiver and are only activated when the tag is in range of the receiver. An RFID tag consists of a data sequence encased in the tag housing and is responsible for the identification of the object. The identification sequence starts when the RFID tag comes within the range of the receiver. The receiver will then pick up the tag's signal and decode it for reference. The RFID receiver will then refer the tag's data to its database to verify the identity of the tag's wearer. Once the tag's data (example: the location of the object, time of verification etc.) is processed and the identity of the object is verified, then the data can be complied in to a larger data set and can be later passed on or processed by another RFID application.(RFiDa.com, n.d.). Figure 1: "This diagram explains the basic schematic of all RFID systems.The Tag or Transponder can be either active or passive. It responds to a signal from the Interrogator (reader/writer/antenna) which in turn sends a signal to the Computer" (High Tech Aid, 2006b). An RFID tag is basically composed of an IC. The IC has a small built-in memory (memory type for an IC is usually ROM or Read Only Memory) capacity and may be equipped with a small processor. The tag communicates with the receiver via air interface, with each type of receiver/tag pair having their own specific frequency, bit rate, and encoding along with any other specifications necessary for operation like an anti-collision protocol which allows multiple tags in the same area to communicate simultaneously, with each manufacturer having different set standards of operation. An antenna is usually fitted unto the tag and is the physical link between the tag and the receiver. The antenna design depends on the type of usage and the frequency that the tag will operate. For example, low frequency tags use simple wire coils to transmit data while high frequency ones often have conducting inks that serves as their antenna. Another type of tag is the so-called 'smart label' which is usually made of sturdy paper or plasticard with an integrated RFID into it. Fig.2 shows a typical set of RFID tags and receivers (High Tech Aid, 2006b). Figure 2: "The Tag comes in a variety of shapes. It is made up from a chip (IC) and an antenna. Depending on the application it may be embedded in glass, or epoxy, or it may be in a label or a card" (High Tech Aid, 2006b). As implied earlier, RFID technology has a plethora of uses, and currently it is used on many familiar industries. Fro example RFID tags are used in the identification of fake drugs. RFIDs are also used in the tracing contaminated meat products before they are sold to consumers. It can also be potentially used in making purchases in the supermarket making shopping more convenient than ever. RFID has also become a rather controversial technology, as it is criticised as another way to intrude consumer privacy. The most controversial of these was the announcement of designer label Benetton in a Wired News article that they will integrate RFID chips into each of their garments for tracking purposes. As such, applications like these make RFID one of the most talked about and controversial technologies to ever come out of the market (Garfinkel et al, 2005; Batista, 2003). RFID technology can increase consumer convenience by eliminating cumbersome cues when making purchases. RFID make instant data processing and tracking possible, giving the consumer and the supplier a lot of other possible options. RFID is a technology seen as having unlimited potential in the future but for now it is still expensive and is limited to a few uses because of privacy issues. But if ever RFID becomes widely available in the future, its prohibitive costs will go down. It will follow a cost-to-technology curve similar to what happened to Personal Computers (PC), since both technologies rely on processors to operate. In the case of PC technology, as processors became smaller and more efficient the more its prices went down. This cost-to-technology ratio trend in PC technology is also predicted for RFID, since processors are very expandable and versatile. As such, mankind can expect RFID technology to be more widespread in the near future (Dargan et al, 2004). Contrary to popular belief, RFID technology has been used since the 1920's. In its earliest form, RFIDs were first used by the British in WWII to track down their air and ground vehicles. RFID has since made leaps and bounds then, and it is only 1997 that RFID technology went into full bloom as the sudden cost of manufacturing tags became cheap and more accessible. As of recent count, there are about 338 manufacturing companies that are involved in the production of low cost, high quality RFID tags and receivers all over the world. Compared to five years ago, the number of RFID tag and receiver manufacturers were less than ten, and this increase in the number of RFID producers is significant indeed (Dargan et al, 2004; High Tech Aid, 2006). There are three main types of RFID tags: passive, battery-assisted and active tags. Passive tags have their receivers as their power source, and they are only active when there is a signal between the two. The tag not only communicates data from itself to the receiver (through a process called backscattering) but it is also able to convert the radio signal into electrical energy as well hence the passive classification (High Tech Aid, 2006b). Battery assisted tags are similar to passive tags (because of their use of backscatter) but they are independently powered by a battery. Having an independent power supply is a huge advantage for the tag, as it does not need to depend on the strength of signal between it and the receiver. This enables the RFID tag to operate much longer and much more efficient than a passive RFID tag (High Tech Aid, 2006b). Active tags active tags on the other hand are even more advantageous. Aside from having an independent power source, the tag also has its own transmitter that enables the tag to operate not just for a long period of time but also at a much farther range than passive or battery-operated tags. Though it costs more and the battery can run out of power unexpectedly these disadvantages are only considered minor (High Tech Aid, 2006b). RFID offers a lot of advantages if used by merchants and consumers alike. Currently, bar-coding is used in pricing and inventories and proved to be a very efficient and effective method for vendors. Bar-coding utilises simple computer languages to encrypt data so that it can be processed later. Bar-coding is faster, more versatile and more accurate than manual keyboard input. One the main disadvantage of bar-coding is that individual items must be scanned manually. This means that if the product comes in bulk, as in batches or in truckloads, a lot of effort must be done to record each items data. Bar-code automation was attempted many times often having negative results. Also, barcode data is permanent and once the data of the product changes, the whole bar-code must be replaced. Another disadvantage is that once barcodes get dirty or damaged, their data cannot be read anymore. RFID tags do not have these advantages as these tags do not require any physical contact or line of site for the system to work. Also, RFID tags can function even in harsh environments such as high pressure, temperature and dusty conditions. New RFID receivers have the ability to read multiple tags simultaneously eliminating the need for individual scanning (Dargan et al, 2004). The biggest advantage and also the most efficient use seen for RFID system is its potential use in electronic product surveillance. RFID systems avoid the old point-to-point tracking system and instead have the ability t track the product at any point in the merchant operation. RFID tags also make product to product communication possible and even automated product shelves that signal the supervisor when it needs refilling. Human product supervision is still necessary but effort is significantly reduced through the use of RFIDs. And with price cut-downs and recent developments on RFID, it is now more possible than ever to field RFID systems for common applications. One such example of this is that RFID manufacturers are slowly turning their attentions to conductive inks to be used in 'printable antennae' which may lower RFID tag and receiver prices by as much as 5% to 10% soon (Dargan et al, 2004). Sceptics who doubt the utilities of RFID worry about the repercussions it will bring in the future. One of their worries in particular is that RFID can be used by retailers to invade the privacy of consumers. RFID can easily access vital personal information about their customers through the activities they do in the store and if they are using RFID technology, the store manager can easily refer their personal information on a public database resulting to trespassing and breach of privacy. Some extremists also assume that the government and even crime organisations an one day monitor and spy around people's lives using RFIDs (Gilbert, 2003). U.S. Senator Debra Bowen quotes: "How would you like it if, for instance, one day you realized your underwear was reporting on your whereabouts" referring to the possibility of RFID as a surveillance device (Gilbert, 2003). Cases of privacy breach brought unto the Senate had witnesses relating the current RFID technologies with Steven Spielberg's science-fiction thriller "Minority Report." The movie, set in the year 2054, show billboards with iris scans that recognizes people and then display personalized ads that even shouts out their names. Also in that movie, law enforcers where allowed to survey people using futuristic tracking devices. Greg Pottie, an electrical engineering professor at UCLA comments that: "It's possible to set up these systems so that there is no privacy anywhere". Consumer privacy groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation raised clamour over the imposition of limits in the use of RFID technologies at present (Gilbert, 2003). The use of RFID technology preset a host of unique privacy issues and security issues. One thing is that human senses cannot perceive RF radiation that RFID devices emit. Another thing is that tag readings go unrecorded most of the time, leaving no other way to determine if the tag was tampered with or not. Tags can also be read by others without the knowledge of the individual. Add this to the fact that RFID tags and receivers can be built into small devices such as cell phones. Such characteristics make tags and receivers clandestine, making espionage a lot easier for individuals with evil intentions (Garfinkel et al, 2005). A person's privacy can be undergo different types of threats if the ID tags that they have in them have some form of personal information encoded in them. T6he first type of threat is the 'action threat' where a person's behaviour or intent is indirectly associated by the movement or action of his/her tag(s). An 'association threat' happens when a person's identity is associated with the tagged item that he or she has brought. The third type of threat is called a 'location threat' which happens when tag readers/receivers are placed in covert locations which may be used to determines a person's location thereby breaching his/her claim to privacy. Te fourth type of threat is the 'preference threat' which enables product manufacturers to have an edge in pricing and gaining consumer preference by knowing what a customer really wants. A 'constellation threat happens when a tag set or 'constellation' as it is commonly called is tracked down by unscrupulous people without even knowing their identities. Now a 'transaction threat' on the other hand happens when a tag moves away from a constellation making it easier for unscrupulous persons to track it and the individual carrying it. Finally, there are the so-called 'breadcrumb threat happens when an individual collects a number of tags in which he or she can be easily identified with. This commonly happens to corporate computer information systems (Garfinkel et al, 2005). Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and RSA Laboratories have just recently identified a new threat common to RFID tags used in Speedpass devices and automobile immobilizer systems. Such a threat is called a 'cloning' threat in which data inside a tag can easily be copied or 'cloned' to be used on another tag. This threat poses fraud and piracy problems which may even be extended anywhere from simple purchases to big time theft. This proves that RFID tags that security and privacy are not the problems that RFID tags have. With the widespread use of RFID, critics and sceptics alike envision a future where government and private entities can easily spy on individuals, establishing a so-called 'techno-totalitarian' states in which all individual action can be accessed and monitored by anybody. Such future scenarios are possible if world government are not particularly careful about limiting and governing laws concerning the use of RFIDs Garfinkel et al, 2005). RFID supporters on the other hand see a bright future for the world using RFIDs. Joseph Tobolski, director of Accenture's Silent Commerce Centre quotes: "When you tag large amounts of product, there could be some privacy issues. But there are some very real physics issues with tracking people". Tobolski merely wants to state that it is still physically impossible to track down and monitor a large number of people let alone the whole population of the world. This is because RFID tags still have limitations because of their use of radio waves. These tags also have physical limitations similar to those encountered by other wireless networks such as transmission range limits, antenna size and strength, and of course power supply. Tobolski notes that Gillete uses RFIDs the size of dust motes with an effective range of just about 3 feet. Tobolski again states that: "What consumers are worried about is people driving by the house and seeing what they have. Scientific knowledge prevent that," Tobolski also adds that some manufacturers such as Auto-ID Centre which will be releasing the next-generation bar code (called an Electronic Product Code, or EPC) considers these issues clearly and spreads this tenet among its associate companies such as Gillete, Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble (Fitzgerald, 2006). Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is yet another one of mankind's attempts at making life a little more convenient. In its service RFID proves to be a very efficient and effective electronic medium not just for identification and security but for other applications as well. The controversy behind the use of RFIDs is based upon future assumptions and thus far the system is proves to be very limiting and specific for it to be used as a type of wide range surveillance method. Like any other wireless device RFIDs are still not very much accepted today but it may become as common as mobile phones or personal computers in the future. Already, manufacturers and researchers are working hand-in-hand in improving the characteristics of RFID technology such as range, processing power, data storage etc. The fear of losing one's privacy and the tampering of personal data with the use of RFIDs have no scientific basis and it is best to think that however sophisticated RFID devices can get, they will still be hampered by physical limitations as well as laws and regulations that will determine the scope of their use. By far the benefits of RFID use far outweighs its disadvantages and the 'threats' seen with its use is considered to be mildly menacing at best. For example, the use of multiple tags by a person is rare by today's standard because RFID technology is not that cheap and widespread yet not unlike mobile phones and personal computer technologies. As for now it can be safe to assume that surveillance and spying with RFID tags are still a remote possibility. But then who knows what the future of RFID technology can bring Time will surely tell Reference List Batista, E. (2003). "What Your Clothes Say About You," Wired News. Available from: www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,58006,00.html/wn_ascii. [Accessed May 5, 2006]. Dargan, Gaurav, Brian Johnson, Mukunthan Panchalingam, and Chris Stratis. (2004). The Use of Radio Frequency Identification as a Replacement for Traditional Barcoding. 45-877 Final Project, Strategic Uses of Information Technology. Available from: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/cjs/tech.html [Accessed May 5, 2006]. Fitzgerald, Michael. (2006). ALIEN LANDS BIG GILLETTE DEAL, BUT PRIVACY IS NOT ON RAZOR'S EDGE. Small Times, Small Times Media. Available from: http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfmdocument_id=5363 [Accessed May 5, 2006]. Garfinkel, S.L., Juels, A., Pappu, R.(2005). RFID privacy: an overview of problems and proposed solutions. Security & Privacy Magazine, IEEE, Volume: 3, Issue: 3, p.: 34- 43 Gilbert, Alorie. (2003). Privacy advocates call for RFID regulation. CNET Networks, Inc.Available from: http://news.com.com/2100-1029_3-5065388.html [Accessed May 5, 2006]. High Tech Aid. (2006a).What is RFID High Tech Aid. Available from: http://www.hightechaid.com/tech/rfid/what_is_rfid.htm [Accessed May 5, 2006]. High Tech Aid. (2006b).RFID - The Technology. High Tech Aid. Available from:http://www.hightechaid.com/tech/rfid/rfid_technology.htm [Accessed May 5, 2006]. RFiDa.com. (n.d.). What is RFID RFiDa.com. Available from: http://www.rfida.com/nb/whatis.htm [Accessed May 5, 2006]. Read More