Introduction
The VeriChip is a specially produced, human- implantable microchip. Basically, this chip is designed to serve as an identification device, effectively this is a type of wireless barcode or dog tag for people. As for as the size is concerned this is like a grain of rice, the VeriChip is surgically implanted into the skin of its bearer. typically on the back of the arm. when interrogated by a nearby reading device, it communicates a special serial number over the air. This serial number may be referenced in a database to identify its bearer.
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What is VeriChip?
Now the question arises that what is this device, The VeriChip is a very small device and this is an injectable chip which is designed for identifications, that can be inserted into the skin of a human being to provide biometric verification.
It holds an identification number, an electromagnetic coil for transmitting data and a tuning capacitor, this component are inside a silicon and glass container that is compatible with human tissue.
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The chip, which uses an RFID (Wireless transmission) technology similar to the injectable identification chip uses by animal shelters to tag pets, can be read by a proprietary scanner up to four feet away.
How Does It Work?
Now we discuss how the VeriChip works, Once implanted just inside the skin, by a very fast, state and without pain outpatient procedure (much like getting a shot), the VeriChip can be scanned where the requirement with a VeriChip scanner.
The VeriChip (some radio frequency which is passed from the scanner braced the dormant VeriChip) produce a radio frequency signal transmitting the individual unique personal verification ( VeriChip ID) number.
This device has a special feature that the VeriChip Subscriber Number (VSN) then gives quick access to the Global VeriChip Subscriber (GVS) Registry through secure, password-protected web access to subscriber-supplied information.
This data is maintained by state-of-the-art GVS Registry operations centers in Riverside, California and Owings, Maryland.
Spoofing the VeriChip--
We now explain the spoofing experiments on the VeriChip. For these experiments, we used the "Proxmarkii" generalized RFID tag reader. The Proxmarkii is a reading and simulation device manufactured by Westhues, who used an earlier version to demonstrate spoofing attacks against proximity cards.
Given its design for research application, Proxmarkii is applicable to dealing with a large variety of formats for the signal over the air. It is also capable of simulation any kind of low-frequency RFID tag, and thus of replaying stored VeriChip identifications to readers.
We were able to study three types of different VeriChip tags (two unimplanted, one implanted). The unimplanted VeriChip were provided to us as free samples by the medical director of Verichip, while the implanted VeriChip belonged to a human volunteer.
The Security Implications of VeriChip Cloning
The VeriChip is a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag produced commercially for implantation in human beings. Its proposed uses include identification of medical patients, physical access control, contactless retail payment, and even the tracing of kidnapping victims.
The VeriChip is vulnerable to simple, over- the air spoofing attacks.In particular, an attacker capable of scanning a VeriChip, eavesdropping on its signal, or simply learning its serial number can make a spoof device whose radio appearance is wished from the original.
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We explore the practical implications of this security vulnerability. There are some arguments that:
If we talk about security implication in the VeriChip, it should serve spacially for identification and not authentication or access control.
Ironically, for bearer safely, a VeriChip to awards victims or extract VeriChips from victim's bodies.
There are also some shocking function of VeriChip--
They steal a glance, which means they see what you see
This VeriChip used with a concealed microphone, that means they hear whatever you hear.
It is a personal location device.
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