OVERVIEW
Chip implants are a type of passive RFID technology that allows a small computer chip without a battery or power source to be powered by compatible readers and communicate with them via the magnetic field generated by the reader.As chip implants are small, the reader must be extremely close. For this reason, the chips are usually placed in the hand so that you can easily position your chip implant close to the reader.
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) distinguishes a variety of chip types (perhaps more than 100), communication methods, functions and applications.
There is no such thing as THE “implant”. We know of various different implants and more are guaranteed to come onto the market. It is therefore misleading to talk about THE “chip”. Implants (also known as “tags”) contain different microchips - depending on the area of application. But all microchip implants have one thing in common: they are based on RFID. RFID is a passive radio technology (Radio Frequency Identification) that we all know and use every day... our wallets are full of them. Plastic cards that have an antenna inside and a microchip in a small corner. And just as naturally as we use these cards, we also use our microchip implants.
Microchip implants are quasi “keys” to globally distributed “keyholes” (RFID standards).
Low Frequency (LF) RFID was the first RFID technology to be developed. It has the advantage that an existing LF card can be easily copied to the xEM implant. To do this, you take a cloner, copy the card into the cloner and simply “write” it back onto the implant. In other words, from the card to the implant. It couldn't be simpler. The disadvantage is that only one card fits on one xEM. There are different standards within NF systems. The HID, EM41xx and Indala standards with which the xEM is compatible are widespread worldwide.
High frequency (HF) systems are generally used for contactless chip cards, in access authorizations, in time recording systems and in applications with increased security requirements such as electronic payment cards, health cards or ID cards.
These systems work “the other way round” compared to the NF systems. With HF, no number is written on the implant, but the number (the so-called UID) is already on it. You learn the systems around you to the UID that you wear under your skin. This means you can theoretically open millions of doors or systems with an HF implant.
NFC stands for “Near Field Communication” and is an international RFID transmission standard for the wireless exchange of data over short distances. This means that data can be sent and received by NFC-enabled devices. The distance for implants is a few millimeters, i.e. virtually skin contact. NFC is always high-frequency.
Passive transponders contain the data to be transmitted. However, they do not have their own energy source and therefore cannot start an RFID connection on their own.
Active transponders, on the other hand, contain an energy source that emits an electromagnetic field. This provides the transponder with enough energy to transmit its data.
MIFARE DESFIRE
Mifare Desfire is the successor product to Mifare Classic. The Mifare Desfire chip is currently regarded as the most secure chip that has not yet been cracked. Mifare Desfire EV1 uses the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption method. Mifare Desfire EV1 chips are currently available in 2k, 4k and 8k versions. The chip is not preconfigured into a fixed number of segments, as is the case with Mifare Classic. Instead, the chip can be configured via a flexible file system. This means that any number of applications can be supported - as long as there is sufficient memory.
DATA SECURITY
Are microchip implants suitable for sensitive data, data that should never be read “secretly”? The first or current generation of microchip implants is not designed for this type of information and the constant criticism is tedious because apples and oranges are being compared here.
What exactly is this data security? Let's take a closer look at the implant or chip types behind it:
The first unencrypted access cards/key fobs/implants (low-frequency systems on e.g. 125kHz) were and are still used to open doors and only contain a single unique number. Their main function was and is to store this number, which can be read by a corresponding reader (e.g. access system). “Security” consists of the fact that you must have the card and it must be in close contact with a reader. Compared to the card, the implant (e.g. xEM or xDW) already wins here, as it cannot be lost, it cannot be “lent” to third parties without authorization and it cannot be stolen. If someone were to “secretly” read the hand, this is much more complicated and would be noticed.
The next level of security is called “Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)”. Here, the user ID is cryptographically secured in a symmetrical manner. Symmetric encryption is similar to the old codes used by children to encrypt and decrypt secret texts at school. Two people need the same key to communicate. This works until someone cracks the code or simply steals it and is able to decrypt the data. Most common access cards are based on this system, as are microchip implants such as the xNT or flexNT.
There are also so-called PKI systems (Public Key Infrastructure). This is where the smallest version of the Vivokey comes in. PKI systems allow the asymmetric identification and authentication of persons. The emphasis here is on asymmetric, which represents a much stronger security level than symmetric systems. With the asymmetric authentication method, each person has two keys - one public and one private. Anyone can have access to the public keys - so if someone wants to send information, the person uses the recipient's public key. But only the matching private key can decrypt the data sent by the public key. These keys are located subcutaneously under the skin of the Vivokey wearer.