NeoCatena protects RFID

A California-based start-up has introduced a security appliance intended to act as a firewall between RFID interrogators and the middleware which integrates RFID data into a customer's software system, says RFIDNews.

NeoCatena calls its new product RF-Wall, and believes the product will protect RFID systems from counterfeit RFID tags, tags encoded with malware and other threats.

Many RFID industry insiders question the significance of this type of security threat, but NeoCatena's founders believe the threat is legitimate, and have attempted to prove it in experiments dating back to 2004.

Opaltec, a South Australian refurbishing company, is calling for retailers, freight companies, and other materials handling industry bar code scanning users to drop off their obsolete scanners at CeBIT, states Materials Handling.

According to the company, it is the only Australian entity that refurbishes and supports equipment from Symbol/Motorola. It will be accepting outdated scanners, handheld data capture terminals and printers at the South Australian Government Stand, N20, from 20 to 22 May, at the Sydney Exhibition Centre.

This is especially timely as many larger companies are making the change to RFID technology and phasing out bar codes.

The Interior Ministry has introduced the latest version of "smart" identity cards for 26 million citizens across Thailand, says The Nation.

Department of Provincial Administration chief Wichai Srikwan said this second generation of ID cards could save two times more information and were harder to counterfeit than the older version.

The cards would also contain information from other cards - such as the Health Insurance Office, the Veteran Welfare Office and the Office of Agricultural Economics - making it more convenient for cardholders to contact government agencies, he said.