Enhancing Security and Privacy in Radio Frequency Identification Systems Using Symmetric Cryptosystem Algorithm

Abstract

Privacy and security vulnerabilities in RFID systems remain a pressing concern as the technology sees wider adoption for automatic identification and real-time tracking. These vulnerabilities are not purely technical, addressing them involves interconnected economic, ethical, and social challenges alongside the technological ones. This work presents recent investigations into RFID privacy and security flaws, with a focus on developing solutions that are affordable, practical, reliable, scalable, adaptable across organizations, and durable, while still meeting RFID's core privacy and security requirements. A central obstacle in meeting these requirements is that RFID tags typically operate under severe resource constraints such as limited power, memory, and processing capacity — which restricts the cryptographic techniques that can be applied. In cryptography, information is encoded so that only an intended recipient can decipher it; for RFID, this study addresses the constraint problem by optimizing cryptographic processes specifically for resource-limited devices, aiming to make effective use of available computing power while minimizing any negative impact on device functionality. The proposed cryptographic approach was evaluated for its computational efficiency and its impact on RFID device operation under real-time conditions. Results show that the proposed system achieves an average processing time of 0.12 seconds, indicating that meaningful security gains can be achieved without significantly compromising device responsiveness. It is important to note that outcomes may vary depending on implementation specifics, the comprehensiveness of the security measures applied, and the system's ability to adapt to evolving security threats. This study synthesizes the sociological and technological context behind existing proposals for protecting individual privacy and RFID system integrity and is intended as a resource for both generalist readers and domain experts.