How to block/kill RFID chips

Step 3 How to block a RFID tag

Luckily RFID tag signals can easily be blocked. This means that you will have the option to use the tag whenever you want, and prevent others from being able to read it.

The signal sent out by a RFID tag is easily blocked by metal. This means that placing the RFID tag inside of a Faraday cage will prevent the information from being read.

There are already two Instructables on how to build RFID blocking containers:

RFID Secure Wallet

Make a RFID Shielding Pouch Out of Trash

Or if you would rather spend money on something you could build, head over to Think Geek for their RFID blocking wallet and RFID blocking Passport Holder.

Comments

[evilmadcow]

heck, think geek has more than wallets

[matzo333]

If you have an RFID programmer, you could also zero out the data contained on the chip. that way there's no way to tell whether someone erased it or an incompetent employee forgot to program it when the passport was issued!

[metrogdor22]

Someone could just as easily erase your credit card data with a magnetic strip decoder. No matter how innocent you make something, there are always going to be people who ruin it for those that use it for the right purposes.

[CodySteed]

BUT if you "kill" the RFID in your passport, it will be invalid. So next time you enter the US, ummm perhaps you will be "security screened"...

Ya kno?

the RFID chip in the passport is specifically used to validate it.

I just renewed my passport, and they sent me an RFID blocking envelope to carry it in. Same with the New Passport Card.

[ajsims]

Wrong.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_2788.html

"If the chip fails, the passport remains a valid travel document until its expiration date. You will continue to be processed by the port-of-entry officer as if you had a passport without a chip."

[gigavolt]

The problem is you want to block it, not destroy it. U can try that if u want to destroy the chip.

[matzo333]

It wouldn't destroy the chip itself, just the data within the chip. If you think you might want to use the chip later on, you could always back it up to a few different floppies, a CD, your hard drive, and a few hard copies of the raw HEX data before you wipe it. Having that many backup places is so if any of them fail, you can use the others, and if all the floppies, CDs, and your hard drive fail, you can just type the raw HEX data into a HEX editor. When you get a good backup file, just flash it and it works again! (^__^)

[Treknology]

I knew tin foil beanies for credit cards would make a guest appearance!