RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)

Radio Frequency Identification uses electromagnetic coupling between a reader and a tag to identify items at short to medium range. RFID is used in access control, supply-chain tracking, contactless payments, and transit cards. Many low-cost RFID systems use weak or no cryptography and have been documented as cloneable, requiring system-level controls to compensate.

Categories: Radio Access NetworkSecurity ControlsEncryption and Cryptography

RFID in context

The radio access network is the layer where mobile devices attach to the operator's infrastructure. Attacks in this layer include IMSI catching, rogue base stations, downgrade attacks and jamming, and defenses hinge on mutual authentication, integrity-protected signaling and Open RAN supply-chain hygiene.

Security controls in telecom span signaling firewalls (SS7/Diameter/GTP screening at the network edge), transport encryption (IPsec, TLS, PRINS), identity and access on OSS/BSS, and monitoring at both the packet and log level. Controls are audited against GSMA FS.11/FS.19/FS.20/FS.36 and, in Europe, NIS2 sectoral rules.

To place RFID in the wider telecom-security picture, review MAC, WCDMA, AP, HTTPS, OFDMA and SMPP.

Related terms

Related topic hubs

  • Diameter Security 4G/LTE Diameter threats across IPX/roaming and DEA defenses.
  • NAS Security Non-Access Stratum security, integrity and ciphering algorithms.

More from the TelcoSec Glossary

Browse the full TelcoSec Glossary, the Ultimate Guide to Mobile Network Security, or the P1 Arsenal of telecom-security tools.