Group items tagged

In airports nationally and internationally, flyers have to stand in line to wait to check in. The process is anything but welcoming for those who are running late, dislike crowds, and are just simply impatient. The process is just has grueling for the workers who have to deal witht the annoyed customers day after day. Luckily, the ticket kiosks have made the check in time shorter, being great for those who have no luggage to check in, but still just a part of the process for those who do. With RFID tags, the check in process isn't as dreadful. Companies are now begining to use reusable RFID tags that can track up to four flights at a time for each luggage, and can be programmed to track upcoming flights. This technology reduces the check in time, and increases effciency as the luggage is already associated with the flyer, and it's location is known at all times. Lost luggage can be found easier, and the manual labor needed for check in is cut down. There is also less paper being used, since the RFID tags only involve electronic mediums. For both the flyer and the company, the RFID tags can be a bright future. However, with more and more ways to eliminate time and human error, it is possible that the jobs of the people at the check in will be reduced. This seems to be a problem with many technologies, but this is the way in which our future is going. But, even though technology seems to be super efficient and a lot better than humans, it has it's flaws. RFID tags are read by radio rignals. If the tags are broken, or placed in an area where the radio signals cannot reach, then the tags are useless. There also needs to be new technology that allows airline companies to begin to use the tags, which may be costly. Another major issue is that in order to increase efficiency, all of the customers must be on board. There is no guarantee that this will happen any time soon, or that all of the airline companies will wish to use the technolgy.

RFID is a very valuable and new technology, that promises to bring many advantages to the business world, which is the main area of impact being addressed. RFID is the IT being discussed. It permits people to gain access to goods, data on products, and important financial data. There is, however, the concern over the issue of security and privacy, which go hand in hand. Stakeholders in the issue are normal people, who increasingly are surrounded by RFID tags, especially in their credit cards. Tags can also be used to track a person's movement, which some claim is an invasion of privacy. Defenders claim that most RFID tags are incapable of being read or trasmit data from up to 50 cm. However, this does depend on the tag's antenna and the encryption it may or may not use to protect its data. There is the continual concern however, that RFID tags will handle more sensitive data as its capabilities improve. The fact that RFID tags store information on databases is also a concern for privacy advocates. An RFID tag uploads onto the database information on financial transactions, buying, selling, etc. The location, time, and other information is stored on a log in the database. The RFID is essentially tracking users' movement. The security concern, which is more consequential to users, is what is done when the database that contains all the sensitive information is hacked or damaged, and security is breached. Such concerns and these issues' impacts are obviously paramount when dealing with RFID tags and the issues of privacy and security.

A relatively old news article, that details concerns and issues about RFID tags that remain relevant, or have become more relevant over time. The article clearly defines law enforcement agents, criminals, marketing corporations, and the average consumer as stakeholders in the development and widespread use of RFID tags. The article describes the issue of privacy and unauthorized or undetected monitoring, whether for illegal use or law enforcement or for marketing schemes as rising from the continued functionality of RFID tags after they have served their purpose -- outside of the stores and past the RFID scanners. The article mentions several concerns, including the more widespread adoption of long-range RFID scanners by non-commercial groups or people, and their ability to be used as an invasion of privacy. Evidently, the technology that makes the continued functionality of RFID tags a privacy issue is in the way that each tag, which can be as small as a few centimeters long, can store various bits of data, such as when the item was bought, where the item was bought, for what price, and who bought it, in combination with the ability to use long-range RFID scanners to scan and detect this information outside of a store.

This article discusses the issue of individual security and invasion of ones privacy through the use of RFID tags. With RFID tags on almost ever retail item, customers who are main stake holders, are questioning the motives of these tracking codes. A major item that is being tracked is a DVD from when it is first put into its cover and sent to the store, till the costumer purchases it. However the question remains, What is the purpose of this? Is it necessary to track how the costumer uses the items that they buy? Other stake holders include the large business corporations such as Walmart, who use these RFID codes to profit from studying the purchases and trends in other stores and areas. Additionally another stakeholder that is seen as a threat is the government who may eventually be able to spy or track down individuals based on these RFID codes on the items that they purchase. This issue relates to business and employment because companies are able to economically profit through this even though the individual privacy remains a threat. These RFID tags allow businesses to profit because they can use the codes to efficiently organize the purchasing of stock and selling of items. The RFID can be considered a network that allows the hardware which is the actual code to work. Without the network tracking and creating the code, the device is unable to function. Although the customer is able to open the wrapper such as in the case of buying a DVD and throw it away, the thought still remains of what will happen in the future with these tags? There is constant dispute and consideration on how the alternate user who is the customer that purchases these items, may become a victim of privacy invasion.

The stakeholders may eventually draft new regulations to police the tags, but, for now, the commission proposes no new laws to govern their use.

The stakeholders may eventually draft new regulations to police the tags, but, for now, the commission proposes no new laws to govern their use.

Basics on how RFID works\nALSO: RFID embedded in paper labels such as baggage tags

RFID is a technology which can create many new possibilities, as well as build upon existing ones. The technology can be applied to a variety of scenarios, but concerns rise due to problems with privacy and lack of security as it has been proven that viruses can be stored on the small 128 character capacity of the RFID chip. These viruses can be used to exploit whatever it is that the technology is implemented in. This could potentially cause problems such as some tags not getting scanned, or even all tags not getting scanned. The risk increases in other scenarios such as airports, where RFID technology could be very useful for streamlining and organizing the baggage transport process, but a single virus and the whole thing would be disrupted. Just as with computers, I'm sure that people will eventually figure out a way to protect from RFID-bound viruses to implement them for great purposes.

At the NHS in England, hospitals are using these new "IT programme" telling them to start labeling their patients. In 2006 approximately 25,000 patients were saying that they they weren't given the right treatment. These were cases due to the misreading of the patient's tags, papers and other identification papers.(These misreadings were due to the legibility of the handwriting. Then the idea of barcodes and RFID were introduced this February by the UK healthcare manager, Roger Lamb who is now using this NHS 10 digit patient ID number and RFID tags which will modernize the NHS hospital in England. RFID's will be upon their wristband which will contain all their personal records (there will also be a photograph if the patient is unable to speak). This can only be accessed by the doctors from his/her PDA. 2.4_health 3.1_hardware: RFID and 10 digit barcodes 3.7_databases: that holds patient's records (Keep in mind this article was written in 2007.)

In big corporations such as Wal-Mart, the use of RFIDs has increased, but the disadvantages of RFID is now a serious issue. With the use of RFIDs on items, the customer is able to avoid waiting at a register, and the RFID will charge the person's credit-card. Yet the tags embedded in the items bought, such as clothing, can be tracked down by the store management systems, risking customers' security and privacy. Since RFIDs do not require a power supply or batteries to operate, all that is needed is a wireless scanner, which Wal-Mart's managing system uses to keep track of the items. Privacy has now become a major issue within the use of RFIDs for many Wal-Mart customers. Also, in many credit cards and "gas-cards", RFIDs are being used, yet the information on the tags also stays within the system. At airports, many modern passports are now using RFID tags that can be scanned from a range as far as 30 feet. Thus this results in chaos for the passengers, and an issue in being able to control the airport security properly.

Large scale businesses like Wal-mart and government authorities in passport make use of sophisticated RFIDs which make the data stored in them or to be accesses through them safe, which helps them keep their business data or data of the clients(in some cases passport holders) safe, however many corporates make use of cheap RFIDs which have a weak encryption code to protect them. This code can be broken easily and hence the client of that RFID is vulnerable to hackers. Ford for example makes use of RFIDs manufactured by Texas Instruments, in their car keys. These RFIDs are protected by very weak codes, hence it is easy for thieves to break the code and steal cars.

Informative, but not good for lead article.

Very informative article that covers positive impacts of RFID tagging in hospitials.

RFID, radio frequency identification, is changing the ways companies and organizations operate. For the first time, they can create value in their products. In simpler terms, RFID is enabling companies to do so many different things they could not do before. It's important to know that RFID is used to identify people and objects. Each RFID tag has a tiny microchip within its body that can be recognized by a reader antenna. Even though this is bringing more business to companies because they have made it possible to shop much easier, it also is bringing them many issues because these antennas are permanently integrated into the tag, which can be tracked from anywhere. Given that the shopper purchased the item, the item can also be traced back to the shopper at any given time. Things like this can be dangerous in the real world because people's privacy becomes at stake. Either way, shopping is so much easier now thanks to RFIDs. The truth is, it's only a matter of time before they become a real problem.

In this article Walt Augustinowicz has shown and proved many people in the public how they can be pick pocketed with out a single finger being laid upon them. They can have their credit cards, debit cards, and passports information stolen quite easily with a simply passing by of the scanner. With this advanced technology that makes paying for things easier, also makes it easier for others to pay for their things using the same card. The card number, the expiration date, the type of card, and even the person's name can be found out. This can show how the social/ethical issue involved is thus privacy - security is another possible issue. The IT system is the RFID tags/microchips. The stakeholders are the people whose information is getting stolen and the people who are stealing the information - people who make the RFID tags/microchips are also possible stakeholders. The area of impact is politics and government - but also can be business and employment. People's private information is at stake and electronic pickpockets can easily steal the information and order products.

This article talks about the security concerns related to RFID technology. RFID technology is susceptible to theft because it broadcasts radio frequencies about the information embedded in the card. This makes it very easy for thieves in possession of a card reader. A person with intent to steal information could just walk past a card carrier with a card reader and pick up the theft victim's credit card numbers, expiration dates and sometimes even the card owner's name. 20% of the card information that was stolen in an experiment has RFID chips. RFID technology increases the chance of identity theft, even passports have RFID implemented in them, this makes them very vulnerable. Passports carry very sensitive information and anyone with a RFID card scanner could wake pass a passport carrier and gain his or her personal information. The stakeholders in this issue include the card carrier or passport carrier whose security is endangered, the information thief who is gaining unauthorized access to a person's personal information and the businesses such as Visa or MasterCard whose reliability is being endangered. This is a security issue that has hampered the positive buzz surrounding RFID technology and its convenience.

Discussion about the agreement to integrate the new process of product tracking in company supply chains (RFID technology), continues to widely expand and challenge the business mentality as it has become reinforced by major companies such as Wal Mart and the Defense Department. A dispute transpired between two alliance companies, Symbol (a leader in bar code systems) and Intermec, as both were unable to consider possessing concurrence upon licensing proposals for RFID technology usefulness. Initially, Intermec Technologies, accused Symbol of infringement transgressions in regards to six Intermec patents that were being sold by Symbol; such products included the utilization of RFID technology, an investment that was supported upon by both business partnerships. Such accusations had been followed after Symbol had also charged Intermec for infringing patents including Wi-Fi technology. The issue of integrity as well as reliability resurfaces in this particular case, directly conveying the disadvantages of business collaboration, that must embed mutuality in justly managing shared information, equality of confidentiality and a clear understanding about each businesses' ideas and plans for profit purposes. It is significant to have fluidity in exchanging perspectives, in order to establish a solid foundation of trust that stands as a promise to future investments and processes.

This articles shows the conventional uses of RFID, and you me personally the fears of doing using such technologies. This article tells the reader that in the latest new york city marathon, the people watching wanted to track certain runners(stakeholder). So for the race each runner placed an RFID tag (Hardware 3.1) on the shoes, and on the track (set intervals) sensors would pick up these RFID tags and record the information to each individual runner. To obtain this information one would need an Iphone and 4 dollars to pay for an app that can give you up to date information. There was an issue of reliability present from the perspectives of the cell companies(AT&T). That issue was reliability, to overcome this issue they put temporary cell tower around the track. While no major issue was sparked, I was scared of what it could potentially do. This may do into the realm of sci-fi but my own issue would be survaillence, what if one day everyone was forced to where one of these, there will be these seners at every door or entry way tracking our every move(1984-George Orwell Big brother). Maybe we will have less crime since everything is monatered, but we will lose all privacy. It may be an exaggerated case but not impossible. In reality I can see it being place in our passports, ensuring more security at our flights, but what are we losing

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After the professor of computer science and technical director of the Information Security Institute at Johns Hopkins University and his students broke the encryption of a popular RFID system in car keys, it was apparent that there is a security issue when it comes to the use of RFIDs. The stakeholders are consumers who use products that have radio frequency identification systems embedded in them. As seen from the experiment done by the professor and his students, people can have their cars broken if the encryption of this identification is broken. The area of impact is business because this identification is on items sold in stores. The IT system is RFIDs, which are radio frequency identification. These forms of identification are similar to bar codes because when scanned can show people the price of items. However, being more advanced, RFIDs also show what the item is, the trends in sales and much more.

This article talks about the security concerns that the customers of a supermarkets have with the use of RFID technology. They feel that the RFID technology is to invasive and can be used to track where abouts of items after they have been purchased at the store.

This article strikes the seam that privacy is invaded by those who buy things in stores that are tracked by RFID tags. There are many times that people actually were tracked, two cases in fact, and thus their privacy was breached by the store itself. The group Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering are currently fighting against this so that they make sure that the people have the rights that they deserve, but many stores refuse to bow down.