As you travel to a resort which incorporates RFID in their lift passes, you may not know what information is stored on the RFID chip in your pass or how it is encrypted, nor what type of back office safety systems the resort has in place.
Already there are many instances of ski-passes (using contactless technology) being hacked, cloned and decrypted. Aspen Ski Company integrated RFID technology into ski season passes in 2008-09. Industry insiders have suggested that their RFID program will soon extend its reach so that ski passes can be used as credit / debit cards (i.e. store cards) in any of its retail shops and restaurants. The expanded use of RFID technologies, will no doubt assist Aspen Ski Company to profile its customers.
But what’s the option for those of us who want to ski the slopes, but not have our every movement – or transaction – tracked, hacked or profiled?
Companies like ID Stronghold in the States – the main supplier / wholesaler for SkiPass Defender – are well worth a visit. Here in the UK, you might consider trying RFID Protect – particularly should you need a swift turnaround, excellent sales support and aftercare.
RFID Protect can supply 13.56MHz RFID enabled ID card / ski-pass holder designed to protect RFID enabled ID and door entry cards from being skimmed. (To allow the card to be read you simply press the top of the holder to release the spring mechanism, which temporarily moves the card away from its protective shield.)
Contactless 