[Infowarrior] - How to block/kill RFID chips

[Richard Forno]

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/25/howto-killblock-an-r.html

Instructables have just published their latest installment in their series
of HOWTOs inspired by my forthcoming novel Little Brother, a young adult
book about kids who use technology to wrest liberty from the Department of
Homeland Security. This week, it's HOWTO block or kill an RFID chip.

    -The easiest way to kill an RFID, and be sure that it is dead, is to
throw it in the microwave for 5 seconds. Doing this will literally melt the
chip and antenna making it impossible for the chip to ever be read again.
Unfortunately this method has a certain fire risk associated with it.
Killing an RFID chip this way will also leave visible evidence that it has
been tampered with, making it an unsuitable method for killing the RFID tag
in passports. Doing this to a credit card will probably also screw with the
magnetic strip on the back making it un-swipeable.

    -The second, slightly more convert and less damaging, way to kill an
RFID tag is by piercing the chip with a knife or other sharp object. This
can only be done if you know exactly where the chip is located within the
tag. This method also leaves visible evidence of intentional damage done to
the chip, so it is unsuitable for passports.

    -The third method is cutting the antenna very close to the chip. By
doing this the chip will have no way of receiving electricity, or
transmitting its signal back to the reader. This technique also leaves
minimal signs of damage, so it would probably not be a good idea to use this
on a passport.

    -The last (and most covert) method for destroying a RFID tag is to hit
it with a hammer. Just pick up any ordinary hammer and give the chip a few
swift hard whacks. This will destroy the chip, and leave no evidence that
the tag has been tampered with. This method is suitable for destroying the
tags in passports, because there will be no proof that you intentionally
destroyed the chip.