New passport holder claims to beat RFID security risks

Published 31 August 2006

Paraben claims its metal mesh, velcro-closing passport holder reduces signals by an average of 85db

When the U.S. government announced that the new e-Passports would use RFID technology, privacy activists began worring that the personal data contained within would be vulnerable to unauthorized reading, or “skimming.” In response, planners anounced that the cover of the new passports would integrate a thin metal shield, making the RFID chip unreadable unless the passport was opened. This did not satisfy critics, but the controversy opened a new market for Orem, Utah-based Paraben, until now known mainly for computer forensic software. Its Passport StrongHold bag claims to block RFID transmission by holding the passport within a nickel, copper, and silver mesh. The company claims the bags, which cost $19.95 each, reduce signals by an average of 85 db.

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