How Secure is NFC Technology?

NFC tags have become pretty common these days. They are now widely used to make payments, provide door access, and other applications that concern personal data or assets.

Given all these developments, you may be wondering: Is it really safe to use NFC technology? If so, then how does it guarantee security?

Understanding NFC

NFC or near field communication is a type of radio communication standard like RFID. You can also compare it with other networking technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

NFC works at a lower speed than RFID and can only operate within a 4-centimeter range. It may sound like a big flaw for NFC, but this is exactly what makes it more secure than RFID.

Why NFC is safe

Security experts say that NFC’s short-range helps ensure secure communication between devices. It prevents hackers from getting in the way during the transfer or exchange of information. For the attack to happen, the hackers have to be very close to the device. They would have to brush up against unsuspecting people to hack or manipulate their data, and this can be difficult to do without the victim noticing.

Another characteristic that makes NFC technology secure is its sensitivity. You often need to tap an NFC tag at the right angle for it to function. If the angle of the phone is just slightly off, it won’t read the tag. This means that for a hacker to intercept the data transfer, he needs to be close to the tag and ensure that the hacking device is precisely at the right angle.

NFC tags also ensure secure data transfer through encryption, which is a process of converting plain text into ciphertext. This way, the information is converted into a secret code and hides the message’s true meaning from unauthorised persons.