An explanation of RFID

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In this video, TechTarget editor Sabrina Polin talks about RFID -- what it does, how it works and how, despite concerns, it can be a safe and beneficial way to identify hard-to-spot objects or organisms.

What does it mean when a passport case touts "RFID blocking"?

As of 2007, all U.S. passports are embedded with an RFID chip that contains all the information on the passport.

While intended to deter fraud and improve security, RFID chips introduce other fears. Here's how.

RFID, or radio frequency identification, is wireless technology that uses electromagnetic frequencies to uniquely identify a person, object or animal.

RFID is comparable to barcode technology, but there are key differences. RFID tags do not require a direct line of sight to be read, they can be updated in real time, and they require a power source.

RFID systems are most commonly used for livestock tracking, inventory management, supply chain logistics and vehicle tracking, and are prevalent in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, retail, business and even home use.

RFID is also what makes contactless payment -- or "tap to pay" -- possible, tapping a smartphone or RFID-enabled credit card against a payment terminal instead of swiping.

RFID is increasing in use as an alternative to barcodes because readers can identify thousands of RFID items at once and can scan from a few inches to a few feet away.

This is convenient for productivity, but counterintuitive for personal security. Technically, anyone with an RFID reader can read an RFID tag within range.

However, there's little reason to fear, and little action to take on the user end. This kind of RFID crime is almost nonexistent in real life -- despite readers ringing in at less than $100.

Nowadays, the information stored on credit card chips isn't enough to complete a transaction -- it excludes your name, address and, notably, the three-digit security code on the back of the card. As for passports, the information on the chip is encrypted and can't be read without the key.

So, considering the fact that anti-skimming material is built into passports and that the few incidents of RFID-related crime occur when taking your phone or card out of your wallet, RFID-blocking products don't actually guard against much.