Over the last few years, there has been a rapid evolution of modern electronic cards. With the advent of RFID technology, bank cards now have the ability to make contactless payments. The card no longer needs to be inserted into the terminal, but simply held against the surface of the ATM. In this case, there is a radio-frequency interaction between the chip on the card and the reader installed on the terminal. The reader generates an electromagnetic field, and the chip works as a receiver and converts electromagnetic waves into a signal. In this case, the chip does not just read the data, but also writes it. The interaction between the transmitter and receiver in this case can be made at different radio frequencies and with the use of encryption. RFID-chip itself, despite its very small size – it is a complex set of antenna, receiver and memory module. Such chips can be active or passive, and information can be recorded on them repeatedly.
In general, these are advanced ultra-modern devices that are used today in various fields. Among them are: payment systems, recognizing people at pass control, accounting for the movement of goods, data management of employees, customers and so on. The technology is very convenient primarily due to the speed of the transaction and the small size of the chips used, allowing the user to carry dozens of cards at a time.
However, there are vulnerabilities in this technology. The bank card holder’s data is stored in the chip memory and can be read at a certain distance by a specially configured scanner. In this way, an amount that does not require confirmation by password or SMS-notification can be stolen. In most banks it does not exceed 1000 rubles. Most importantly, such a theft of funds can occur from a distance of up to several tens of meters. And the victim of electronic theft will not be able to prevent it in any way.
However, the way to secure electronic cards has been known to everyone since high school physics class. The simplest and most effective way to protect against radio waves is to shield them. That is, placing the card in a case made of material that is impervious to radio signals. Such cases can be silicone, plastic, leather, wooden. The main thing is that they have a coating of special material impermeable to radio waves of different lengths. Such a case is called a cardholder, i.e. “card keeper”. In this case, the user should know that leather cardholders are the least successful choice, because with constant friction on the card, the leather acts as sandpaper. It gradually erases the protective layer of laminate, magnetic stripe and chip, shortening the life of any electronic card.