In this day and age, we seem to be constantly hearing about data being lost, sold, traded and worst of all, stolen. Unfortunately due to our wishes to be more connected (iot) all of the time, it makes the job for thieves a little easier.
Now, if you are not security/technically savvy, then you probably do not know much about RFID and its uses.
RFID – Radio-Frequency Identification is the implementation of electromagnetic fields to transfer data wirelessly, the data is usually stored info ‘tags’ based on the object it is attached to.
Obviously, if something can be read wirelessly then there is the chance for that data to be intercepted and hacked/stolen. When it comes to the plastic in your wallets and back pockets this danger becomes much more real as this info is very desirable to those with few scruples.
Fortunately there are ways to protect against this chance of theft.
For those who grew up watching Blue Peter and like to be a little creative, you could opt for the Duct tape / Aluminium foil method; looks like there was some science behind those tinfoil hats after all.
The other more widely used option is to purchase a new wallet/purse with RFID blocking designed into it. There are a number of these available on the market and can be bought from as little as £10-£15. Some claim to be better than others for the amount of blocking so it is probably best to hunt out some online reviews and make your decision.
Ekster want to take things one step further:
The wallets are on Kickstarter currently and have a number of features including RFID blocking. Not only this, their product can be tracked in real-time on a Bluetooth linked smartphone via the Protag app. So, if you lose your wallet you can locate it as long as it is within 100 feet.
The Ekster wallet features the following functions:
Separation Alert
Whenever your wallet is out of range, you will receive a notification with the time and place you lost it.
Ringer
When in close range, the app will point you in the right direction and you can ring your wallet to find it instantly!
Crowd GPS
Ekster’s crowd GPS network will help you find your wallet when out of range. When a Protag user is within range of the lost item, the user will receive a GPS update.
The wallets have surpassed their original backer number on kickstarter by a huge amount and are available from their website.