Security in Close Proximity Systems - A Technical Summary and Case Study of Security in NFC Systems

Abstract

This thesis investigates security in close proximity systems by conducting research about the close proximity technology and practically investigating two commonly used close proximity systems. In this thesis the systems are limited to those that use Near Field Communication (NFC), since NFC is commonly used in close proximity systems. NFC is a mean of communication using radio waves at the frequency of 13.56 MHz. A case study of the security that is implemented in NFC applications is conducted in this thesis. The case study consist of an analysis in regards to an access control system and an investigation of Peer-to-Peer communication using the NFC technology. To fully understand the technology a research about the close proximity technology is undertaken. The rst case study analyses the security of an access control system which is used by homeowners. A theoretical analysis of NFC Peer-to-Peer communication is performed in the second case, where only a limited amount of practical tests are performed. The study revealed poor security in both the access control system and the Peer-to-Peer communication. In the discussion the security vulnerabilities that are revealed in the case studies, and the theoretical analysis of the NFC technology, are given possible security improvements. The improvements suggest both short and long term ways of increasing security. The NFC standards does not address security, rather this is implemented at the application layer. However, not all NFC systems add adequate security, and non-secure systems are, unfortunately, available on the market.