Man Builds and Demonstrates Passport RFID Sniffer/Cloner for $250

[zahc]

I had read that wrapping one's passport in foil would work to prevent unauthorized intrusion.

Tried it on the entry key-cards at work, which have a naked range of about 6 inches. Wrapping the wallet in one layer of foil still allowed the card to trip the lock (from within the wallet) at contact range. It took two layers, of the heavy-duty foil they use for the vacuum systems too, not normal cooking foil.

[Marnoot]

You can get wallets that block RFIDs.  ThinkGeek.com sells em:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/security/8cdd/

They also sell RFID-blocking passport holders, though they're out of stock at the moment:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/security/910f

[CNYCacher]

Lo, Med, Hi, thaw, defrost... which?

And for how long?

You do it on high power for 2 seconds less than it took the first passport to burst into flames.

[Thor]

I don't know what was wrong with the bar code that is/was on passports. That seemed to be pretty efficient.

[Waitone]

The single biggest problem with RFID technology is it is exceedingly susceptible to static electricity.  Plans are to put these things in just about anything.  Problem is static electricity inherent in production processes kill 'em before they get planted.  The sure fire way of destroying the buggers is to zap 'em with ESD or electro-static discharge.  Draw a static arc and they will die.  I can see a business plan coming together to produce and distribute a consumer device designed to zap chips.  I can also see fed.gov writing laws to hinder attempts to establish privacy.