With digital technologies becoming more seamlessly intertwined with our everyday lives, it can be tricky to keep up with what’s new or emerging. Kinetic IT’s Nilanga Perera pulls back the curtain on near field communication – what it is, how it is used, and how you can ensure you stay safe should you encounter the technology in nefarious circumstances.
The rise of Near Field Communication
Near Field Communication (NFC) technology can be found to be in our day-to-day lives, from contactless payments to the transfer of information. NFC can be found in items such as tags, smart cards, and stickers, and can be programmed to automate tasks including opening a website on a smart device, making a phone call, connecting to a Wi-Fi network, and so on.
NFC technology is quite convenient and it’s not a surprise that it has become so popular. Most new smartphones and smartwatches nowadays come with built-in NFC chips, allowing us to use this exciting technology right out of the box.
But what exactly is it? And if you run into someone using NFC for malicious reasons, how can you protect yourself and your data? We’ve got a few simple tips to share.
What is Near Field Communication?
NFC is a short-range, high-frequency wireless technology that uses an electromagnetic field to communicate with other devices within four and ten centimetres in range. NFC itself does not have the power to communicate but instead is used by embedding this technology into other devices, such as smartphones, to provide power to the NFC technology.
Pre-programmed NFC items such as tags, smart cards, and stickers are also available, and use the power of the connecting device at the time of the scan.
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What to know when using Near Field Communication
Every technology has its pros and cons as well as specific security concerns. As consumers, it is better to understand the technology and risks involved in order to keep yourself protected against any potential threats.
NFC is considered to be fairly secure, given it can only communicate with another NFC-enabled device within a short proximity, making it harder for an attacker to intercept. Attacking NFC can be quite a challenge, however, there are a few well-known security concerns to keep an eye out for:
- Eavesdropping on transactions
- Data manipulation or Corruption – Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.
- Service Interruptions – Denial-of-service attack (DoS) attack.
For example, even though contactless payment transactions are encrypted, an attacker might be able to try various techniques to decrypt the traffic and access the information. While it is important to be aware of these security concerns, they are considered to be a part of the NFC technology design and ecosystem. Therefore, mitigation of such risk is out of consumer control.
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How to keep yourself safe when using Near Field Communication technology
Although there are some security concerns that consumers cannot avoid, you do have the ability to make smart decisions about your own use of NFC – to protect yourself against any potential threats:
Keep your device software up to date
It is important to keep your device operating system software up to date as the vendors regularly release patches for the latest vulnerabilities, with improved security, and performance.
Turn off Near Field Communication when not in use
If your device allows, it’s always the best option to turn off NFC when not in use.
Having a password-protected device with a strong password
This decision is quite smart and means no unauthorised persons can make contactless payments from your device.
Install antivirus protection on your device
Installing antivirus software can protect your data and the device from navigating to a malicious website that you receive via NFC when scanned on any NFC items such as tags, smart cards, or stickers. It would also protect your device from viruses or from installing other malicious applications.
Take these simple steps towards protecting yourself, and you’ll be an NFC expert in no time.
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Check out more in our cyber tip series on our website and find out more about PROTECT+ by Kinetic IT.
