RSA Security Launches Professional Services for RFID Technology

RSA Securitys Professional Services division has developed a radio frequency identification (RFID) services offering to help companies assess RFID application security design for a successful deployment of RFID technology. The RSA Professional Services team, in collaboration with RSA Laboratories, the research center of RSA Security, will provide these services to benefit early adopters of RFID technology -- such as consumer packaged goods manufacturers, logistics and transport providers, and retailers, as well as infrastructure suppliers and systems integrators. Built around RFID tags -- small silicon microchips attached to an antenna that emits a unique serial number via radio over short distances - RFID technology aims to replace the traditional printed barcode in supply-chain management systems. RFID technology expands the security perimeter to include a new class of devices that include RFID tags, readers, middleware and application servers. Similar to an unencrypted wireless network, for example, a person with a parabolic dish antenna could potentially snoop on RFID readers, stealing sensitive information such as the type and quantity of goods a company has shipped or received. Plus, security and trust problems are greatly increased by the need for sharing large volumes of internal RFID data with trading partners. Another major challenge of RFID technology is personal privacy protection. Information stored on RFID tags can potentially be read by anyone with an RFID reader, and this information can range from personal buying habits in a retail environment, to the tracking of a drivers location using automatic toll collection systems like E-Z Pass and FastTrack. These threats have already triggered a wave of protest among privacy advocates. The new RSA Professional Services offering centers on an RFID application security design assessment. The package includes an in-depth review of a companys RFID deployment plans that pinpoints security risks and clearly defines impact. In addition, the design assessment includes audit capabilities that help articulate the security goals of an organization and determine if they are being met. The end result of this work is a report that includes a high-level security evaluation, architectural recommendations and specific design changes -- information that can help companies benefit from RFID technology, and mitigate security and privacy concerns at the same time. RSA Security also is a founding member of EPCglobal Inc., the leading developer of RFID standards, and a successor to the Auto-ID Center. EPCglobal is a joint venture of the Uniform Code Council (UCC) and EAN International, the two organizations overseeing barcode standards in the U.S. and Europe respectively.