NFC access card technology, via smart phones, like the Blackberry and iPhone. NFC is near field communication and is essentially two-way RFID, or radio frequency identification. NFC key cards are already in use in the hotel and airline industries, with downloadable room keys and boarding passes. Experts believe that eventually driver’s licenses and passport information will migrate to the NFC platform, but currently, there are too many problems with issuance, interoperability and security, that must be resolved first. One major issue for NFC-enabled mobile devices is that older cell phones do not have the installed chips. Existing smart phones without embedded NFC readers could work via Bluetooth tethering or a USB port.
The DoD put out a request for information in September of 2010, to start looking at NFC, to replace its Common Access Card and government employees’ PIV, or personal identity verification, credentials. Used by three million people for logical and physical access, the DoD CAC/PIV smartcard would be a big boon to the winning developer of the chip technology contract. The DoD is considering adding global payment, ATM access, and management of public transit service benefits to the card’s functionality. The DoD would also like to develop a debit card for military personnel, to be able to buy groceries both on and off base.
NFC is divided into two camps, open and secure. Open NFC allows for checking into hotel rooms, stores, or flights. Secure NFC enables financial transactions, whether through NFC access keys or NFC-enabled smartphones. The former can be developed much more rapidly than the latter because of the necessity of multiple layers of security and the complex nature of creating data protection software. Security is obviously the biggest concern for the DoD. Because of the many platforms and systems that support NFC, the potential for hackers and cyber-terrorists to develop viruses and malware is great.
Another problem, with NFC-enabled smartphones, is access control. PIN numbers and pattern codes for locking the phone are common, but the mechanism is usually optional. Any NFC mobile device approved for military use would need additional security layers. Some solutions to this are one-time passcode generators, biometrics, and GPS location tagging. The cameras on smartphones could be utilized for facial or iris recognition or fingerprint swiping. The phone’s GPS technology could flag fraudulent activity from individuals attempting to gain access from a computer that is far removed from the mobile device.
The rate of innovation for mobile apps is a further vulnerability in security. New versions of software are released at a frenetic pace and present problems for organizations trying to keep up. Imagine deploying and maintaining the technology over an organization the size of the Department of Defense. Whether the DoD goes with NFC-enabled smartphones or NFC access keys, it will certainly be a challenge. “>The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is considering replacing its Common Access Card with NFC access card technology, via smart phones, like the Blackberry and iPhone. NFC is near field communication and is essentially two-way RFID, or radio frequency identification. NFC key cards are already in use in the hotel and airline industries, with downloadable room keys and boarding passes. Experts believe that eventually driver’s licenses and passport information will migrate to the NFC platform, but currently, there are too many problems with issuance, interoperability and security, that must be resolved first. One major issue for NFC-enabled mobile devices is that older cell phones do not have the installed chips. Existing smart phones without embedded NFC readers could work via Bluetooth tethering or a USB port.
The DoD put out a request for information in September of 2010, to start looking at NFC, to replace its Common Access Card and government employees’ PIV, or personal identity verification, credentials. Used by three million people for logical and physical access, the DoD CAC/PIV smartcard would be a big boon to the winning developer of the chip technology contract. The DoD is considering adding global payment, ATM access, and management of public transit service benefits to the card’s functionality. The DoD would also like to develop a debit card for military personnel, to be able to buy groceries both on and off base.
NFC is divided into two camps, open and secure. Open NFC allows for checking into hotel rooms, stores, or flights. Secure NFC enables financial transactions, whether through NFC access keys or NFC-enabled smartphones. The former can be developed much more rapidly than the latter because of the necessity of multiple layers of security and the complex nature of creating data protection software. Security is obviously the biggest concern for the DoD. Because of the many platforms and systems that support NFC, the potential for hackers and cyber-terrorists to develop viruses and malware is great.
Another problem, with NFC-enabled smartphones, is access control. PIN numbers and pattern codes for locking the phone are common, but the mechanism is usually optional. Any NFC mobile device approved for military use would need additional security layers. Some solutions to this are one-time passcode generators, biometrics, and GPS location tagging. The cameras on smartphones could be utilized for facial or iris recognition or fingerprint swiping. The phone’s GPS technology could flag fraudulent activity from individuals attempting to gain access from a computer that is far removed from the mobile device.
The rate of innovation for mobile apps is a further vulnerability in security. New versions of software are released at a frenetic pace and present problems for organizations trying to keep up. Imagine deploying and maintaining the technology over an organization the size of the Department of Defense. Whether the DoD goes with NFC-enabled smartphones or NFC access keys, it will certainly be a challenge.