How Do NFC Tags Prevent Copying?
Near-field communication (NFC) is neither new nor ground-breaking; however, it has stood the test of time. NFC cards are still in wide use to date, thanks to their versatility, portability, and, most importantly, security.
But do NFC virtual cards prevent data copying? How do they do it? Here are a few things you must know about the technology:
Almost everything digital can be hacked. For example, your credit card data can be stolen through spyware and public Wi-Fi networks, while some organisations can suffer from a massive data breach. And as technology advances, so do the methods used by criminals to access your information.
Fortunately, these threats have also resulted in more effective security systems forthings as small as NFC chips, including:
Memory locking and blocking
There are two common ways to prevent tampering in NFC cards: locking and blocking. Locking involves one-time programmable (OTP) lock bits that make it impossible for unauthorised users to change the memory permanently.
Blocking is very much similar to locking. The only difference is that this allows some sections to be writable, only freezing specified lock bits to make them unchangeable.
Password protection
More recently, many NFC chips have been configured with password protection capabilities to prevent tampering. This method is preferred by many as it still allows authorised users to update their information while blocking NFC writer devices.
Although they use a simple 32-bit password, some NFC cards can be configured further for enhanced security. For example, a set number of incorrect password entries will block additional authentication attempts.
Mutual authentication
As expected, advanced NFC virtual cards have more advanced authentication capabilities. For instance, the MIFARE DESFire and FeliCa tags use random number generators and cryptographic algorithms to establish a shared secret key without transmitting the information.
This way, it’s impossible for hackers to discover the key by eavesdropping.
For business use, NFC cards with password protection are enough to prevent data copying and unauthorised access. Make sure to purchase your smart tags from trusted suppliers to ensure quality and security!