Using smart card in RFID infrastructure to protect consumer privacy

As the application of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology in supply chain is getting mature, most of the products we purchase from the retailers will carry RFID tags in the near future. By exploiting RFID tags on garments, packs of food, home appliances and so on, the logistic and sales processes could operate more effectively [1]. However, with the efforts to adopt the RFID technology, considerable disputes about consumer privacy have occurred that lead to market boycotts promoted by some privacy advocates. In order to prevent the possible threat ofspying the information stored in the low-cost RFID tags after purchase, but still allow the customers to enjoy the convenient function provided by tags, a simple and feasible mechanism based on symmetrical encryption and smart card system is proposed. The traceable Electronic Product Code (EPC) inside RFID tag should be encrypted by the key stored in the membership card at the supermarkets, and decrypted by the same key at home for smart use. ICIC International