Nfc Technology: Its Uses And Security Issues

By Author: Yancy Marry
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NFC or Near Field Communication is a technology used to start radio communication between one smartphone to another or between two similar mobile devices. The communication is established by touching the devices together or by bringing them in such close proximity that there is no more than a few centimeters space in between. The NFC technology has made life for mobile users very convenient by simplifying the process of making transactions, connecting electronic gadgets just with a touch, or exchanging digital content.

The Various Uses of NFC Technology
The uses of the near field communication technology extend over multiple departments, such as:

1. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connections – The NFC technology offers low speed connections with simple setups that are used to bootstrap capable wireless connections. For example, Nokia makes use of near field communication to pair Bluetooth speakers & headsets with just a tap on its NFC compatible mobile devices. The Android Beam Software on the other hand uses near field communication to allow enabling, pairing, and building a Bluetooth connection during the time ...
... of file transfer. Similar technique is applied when the mobile devices want to configurate Wi-Fi networks.

2. Commerce – NFC enabled mobile devices are used for making contactless payment. Through mobile payment, a customer can replace electronic ticket smartcard payment or payments made through credit cards. However, this facility is still not available for use in every country.

3. Social Networking – Various social networking functions such as sharing of contacts, videos, photos, & files can be performed using the NFC technology. Entering multiplayer mobile games can also be achieved using near field communication in devices.

4. Identity & Access Tokens – The NFC Forum allows every mobile device that is NFC enabled to act as keycards or electronic identity documents. Similar facility was earlier provided RFID systems, but since near field communication also supports encryption, it is considered as a more suitable identity token.

Advantages of NFC Technology
Near field communication provides benefits to not only individual users but also businesses as a whole. Some of these advantages are:
1. Intuitiveness – Interactions across different NFC enabled mobile devices is completed by only a simple touch.

2. Versatility – NFC is suited to a wide range of environments or industries such as consumer electronics, transport, payments, healthcare, access control, loyalty & coupons, and information exchange.

3. Technology Enabling – Quick & simple setup of wireless technology like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is possible through the use of near field communication.

4. Standard Based – The various options of the NFC technology follow the universally implemented standards of ETSI, ISO, and ECMA.

5. Interoperability – Every existing contactless card technology is compatible to work with the NFC technology.

Is Near Field Communication Technology Security Ready?
It is said that the built in capabilities under the NFC technology support very secure applications. However, it must be remembered that NFC is not a very old technology to be filtered in mobile devices. It is just beginning to be used for contactless payments at parking meters, retail terminals, etc., or being used for exchange of information between friends & businesses. What is more, complex authorization codes are not required while connecting a mobile device to secure networks using the NFC technology. But does this mean that NFC is really secure?

According to technology experts, by virtue of its short range, NFC has become a very secure technology. Snagging of NFC signals is possible only if the hacker is so close that you will actually get a hint.

Looking at its secure & multifarious features, NFC is a technology that is gradually gaining increased acceptance among mobile device users.

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