RFID Middleware Introduction

A key challengeto changing to a standards-based infrastructure is that tag data can be hijacked if there is noreliable multi-level security built into the system. This chapter look at ways that multi-layeredsecurity built into the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) middleware layer can be used toprevent unauthorized access. We also look at the middleware implementation provided in CommerceEvents AdaptLink , which provides a scalable security infrastructure to thwart RFIDattacks.

We begin by examining the EPCnetwork protocols adopted by EPCglobal, the de facto standardfor the current cryptographic techniques used within the enterprise. The Public Key Infrastructure(PKI) is used to authenticate the handshake between the tag and the reader, and RFID middleware isused to authenticate the handshake between the reader and the network.

In this chapter, we recall the security fundamentals and principles that are the foundationof any good security strategy, addressing a range of issues from authentication and authorization,to controls and audit. No primer on security would be complete without an examination of the commonsecurity standards, which are addressed alongside the emerging privacy standards and theirimplications for the wireless exchange of information.

Electronic Product Code System Network Architecture

RFID is used to identify, track, and locate assets. The vision that drives the development atthe Auto-ID Center is the unique identification of individual items. The unique number, called theElectronic Product Code (EPC), is encoded in an inexpensive RFID tag. The EPC Network also capturesand makes available (via Internet and for authorized requests) other information pertaining to agiven item.

Figure 6.1: