AR 06-01
Evaluating and improving the security of RFID tags in shipping containers
Burkhard Englert
Associate Professor
California State University Long Beach
Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840
Tel: (562) 985-7987
Fax: (562) 985-7823
Email: englert@cecs.csulb.edu
Project Objectives:
We will investigate to what extent companies operating at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports are already using RFID systems. At the same time we will take a closer look at the types of RFID systems that are in use. To be practical, RFID tags should be very inexpensive. While the more expensive RFID tags designed for use in special environments can support cryptography, basic and therefore cheaper tags lack the resources to perform sophisticated computing such as the standard cryptographic operations necessary to ensure privacy and security. Securing basic RFID tags therefore presents a considerable challenge. We will investigate which techniques are best suited and most cost effective for standard use at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. To do so we will compare different techniques that secure RFID systems. We will compare them with respect to their cost and the security benefits they provide.
Based on these comparisons we will make suggestions on how to secure RFID systems that are already in use and how to secure systems scheduled for future installation.
Tasks:
1. Determine how widespread RFID tags are already used at the port terminals and which kinds of RFID systems are in use.
2. Study how easy it is for an attacker to eavesdrop on an RFID tag signal at the port.
3. Based on the types of tags used, determine how easy it is for an attacker to "impersonate" an RFID tag signal.
4. Study which cryptographic algorithms or protocols are best suited to be used to authenticate an RFID signal from a shipping container. Such algorithms must be simple enough to be executable by RFID tags typically used in this context.
5. Investigate if there are other feasible technologies to authenticate RFID tags in shipping containers that do not involve cryptography and which therefore might be less expensive.
Milestones/Dates:
7/1/06 through 6/30/07
Total Budget:
$40,000
Student Involvement:
Student Assistants:
Graduate Student 150 hours at $14/hr
Undergraduate Student 127 Hours at $11/hr
