Conference on Advances in Communication and Control Systems 2013 (CAC2S 2013)

NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION

VIBHOR SHARMA
Department of Computer Science & Engineering
TULA's Institute, The Engineering and Management College,
Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India
[email protected]

PREETI GUSAIN
Department of Computer Science & Engineering
TULA's Institute, The Engineering and Management College,
Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India
[email protected]

PRASHANT KUMAR
Department of Computer Science & Engineering
TULA's Institute, The Engineering and Management College,
Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India
[email protected]

Abstract
Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is being grown up at enormous speed. NFC technology provides
the fastest way to communicate two devices with in a fraction of second. This technology has only been
implemented on smart phones so far. Like Bluetooth it works only in short range and data transfer takes place
at very low speed. Several security issues are attached with NFC, which is a big concern. Security attacks like
eavesdropping, data corruption and modification, interference attacks and theft, are the most dangerous for the
customer who is using his/her smart phone for payment purpose. In this paper we present the comparison of
NFC with Bluetooth and security analysis of NFC.
Keywords: NFC Modes, NFC and RFID, NFC over Bluetooth, Security Issues, Protection Measures.

1. Introduction card or debit card. Our mobile phone can be used in

place of wallet, credit cards, debit cards etc. We don’t
NFC is wireless technology which provides need to carry our credit card or debit card with us.
communication between two mobile phones which But with these advantages, we will have to face
contain NFC tags, using short range radio waves. It disadvantages too. There are some security threats to
uses the magnetic field induction for this purpose. NFC technology, which should be prevented. NFC
Both devices can communicate with each other using technology uses RFID (Radio Frequency
NFC technology when they touch each other or Identification) for data/information exchange
brought very close to each other. It requires short between two devices over a short distance like
range of approximately four centimeters to perform Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology. NFC enabled smart
the exchange of information between two devices. phone users can make transactions and access
We can do payment using our NFC enabled phone by information with only a simple touch. NFC devices
swiping it out in front of the phone reader and then can send and receive data simultaneously. So this
the purchase price will automatically paid from credit technology has a very bright future scope. Since it is

© 2013. The authors - Published by Atlantis Press 342

a new technology, so NFC enabled mobile users need
to be educated on how it will work for them to make
payment or exchange any information. But there is a
requirement of a protected infrastructure for NFC
technology so that it could be widely adopted all over
the world. This technology has several advantages
over other wireless technology because it provides
bidirectional communication for exchanging
information.

2. NFC Modes

Figure-1 (NFC using RFID infrastructure)

NFC works in active mode as well as passive mode.
In active mode, both devices, tagged with NFC chip,
4. NFC over Bluetooth
generate their own electromagnetic field alternatively
to exchange information. Both devices are active in
this mode. One of the devices deactivates its NFC communication and Bluetooth have several
electromagnetic field during data transfer. In passive features in common; both use short range radio
mode, one of the devices acts as a transponder and waves to provide communication between two
uses the electromagnetic field of other device for its devices. Both have their advantages and
own operating power. In other words we can say that disadvantages, so they can be used in a combined
one device is active which generates its radio way to fulfill the user’s data transmission needs. NFC
frequency field and the other device uses that field area is limited to a short distance of approximately
for data exchange. four centimeters while Bluetooth covers the distance
of approximately thirty feet. In this regard the
3. NFC and RFID Bluetooth is superior over NFC. But this close
proximity provides the benefit to user when
communication takes place in crowded location
NFC and RFID are two words which are used in where interference may be occurred because several
wireless technology. NFC is compatible with RFID devices may be there in that close proximity and they
infrastructure. RFID stands for Radio Frequency can try to communicate too. Bluetooth may have
Identification which consists of a reader, transponder, trouble to deal with this condition. NFC consumes
and IT system working in background. RFID less power in comparison of Bluetooth. When NFC
transmits information via radio waves. Transponder works in passive mode then it consumes more power
is a small computer chip outfitted with an antenna. It than Bluetooth transmission. Another feature,
is integrated into a carrier object such as a card. The provided by NFC, is ease of use. Bluetooth requires a
number codes are stored on the chip. The code connection between both devices, which should be
encrypts information stored in the database. Reader is established manually for information exchange and
an antenna that emerges signals to transponders and may take several seconds. On the other hand NFC
receives their Data. Information about objects can be connection is established automatically in a fraction
stored in a database. For this the reader transmits the of second if both mobile users are in close proximity.
combination of numbers to the database. The IT Thus NFC is fast and easier than Bluetooth
system decrypts the code and links it to information technology. The data rate of NFC is lesser than
stored in the database or on the Internet. The Bluetooth. NFC operates on 13.56MHz band and the
system’s knowledge, or intelligence, is located in the data rate’s range starts from 106 Kbit/Sec to 848
database, not in the transponder. Information can also Kbit/Sec. So It is not suitable to send large amount of
be stored on the chip. In these applications, the data, But it can be used for identification and
readers need not be linked to a database. Figure 1 is validation of person/device. NFC is compatible with
showing how NFC enabled devices make RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) infrastructure.
transactions using RFID technology.

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In figure 2 we can see comparison of NFC with other manipulated data i.e. data integrity is broken.
technologies in terms of data rate and range. Imposter attack can be a big threat to NFC
technology too, because an imposter can hack the
data between two parties during transmission and
alter it. After that the imposter can pretend to be a
different entity i.e. sender in front of receiver and
receiver in front of sender. It is similar to man in the
middle attack. Another major security issue is theft
attempt. If the NFC enabled device is stolen, the thief
can swipe the phone in front of card reader or tap
phone with another NFC enabled phone and make
transactions, no matter how strong encryption is
applied. Thus these are some security issues which
can be faced by NFC technology during any
transaction or transmission.

Figure-2 (Differentiation among various wireless 6. Protection Measures

technologies)
There are some protection measures which can be
NFC has an advantage over Bluetooth is that it applied to prevent from security attacks on NFC
provides bidirectional communication between transactions or transmission. First we will talk about
devices i.e. both devices can send and receive data the eavesdropping. In eavesdropping any opponent
simultaneously. Bluetooth provides unidirectional can listens to the transaction. But the opponent has
communication i.e. at a time, a device can send the limited range to intercept those signals. Secure
data and another device can receive the data. channels can be used to get rid of data corruption and
data modification. Since data being exchanged is
encrypted therefore only authorized device can
5. Security Issues decrypt the data, no one in between can corrupt or
manipulate the data. Imposter attack can be prevented
As NFC uses Radio waves for data transfer its by using the active-passive pairing between devices
security issues grow higher. Data being transferred i.e. the communication should be unidirectional
can be intercepted, analyzed and modified. Insertion instead of bidirectional. Another security threat is
of error can be done on the transmitted data. The theft which is impossible to prevent. The user can
possible security attacks on NFC can be categorized only take care of his NFC enabled phone and keep
as Eavesdropping, Data corruption, Data tight security on his phone i.e. installing a password
Modification, Imposter attacks, and Theft. or any other lock on mobile phone. If mobile phone is
Eavesdropping is when an opponent secretly listens stolen then the thief couldn’t be able to access the
to the private transactions between two devices. confidential information. NFC is safe enough. IN the
Opponent need not to listen all the NFC transactions. payment environment, there are several security
The opponent may take private information by any functions and NFC forum has already define several
NFC transaction i.e. data confidentiality is broken. security paraameters. The real focus is on the
Data corruption occurs when the opponent intercepts application level where the banks, mobile companies
the data, corrupts it and send further. If user makes and merchants require secured services through a
any transaction with this corrupt data, He will not get trusted service manager at application level.
the desired output due to the corrupted information.
Another security issue related to NFC is data 7. Future trend
manipulation in which the opponent manipulates the
data during transmission. So, the receiver will receive

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We can think a number of things using NFC. Let’s complementary-or-competitive-both-offer-
distinct-advantages-for-users-in-vehicles.aspx
think that we are doing shopping at Mall and paying
9. http://www.nearfieldcommunication.org/nfc-
the bill not in cash or credit card but just by waving security.html
our mobile phone in front of the reader. We can also 10. https://www.cdt.org/blogs/harley-geiger/nfc-
think to pay the electricity bill, water bill etc. not by phones-raise-opportunities-privacy-and-security-
issues
waiting in the queue for hours but just to tap our
11. http://www.cso.com.au/article/440741/near_field
phone and deduct the bill. Kenya has adopted this _communication_security_risks_/
technology. NFC is provided by a few number of 12. http://android.appstorm.net/general/opinion/near-
Mobile manufacturing companies to a very few field-communication-and-the-future-of-mobile/
13. http://www.nfc-forum.org
handsets (Smart phones). But in future it will be 14. http://mondato.com/en/articles/newsletter-vol-4-
provided in all kind of devices because of its ease of issue-14-nfc-bypass-security-in-mobile-payments
use. But the obstacle is to make people understand to
make payment by their mobile phones instead of
credit cards, debit cards or cash.

8. Conclusion

NFC would enable all the users to make payments

simply by tapping their mobile phones with mobile
phone reader like debit card or credit card Vibhor Sharma completed his B.Tech in
transactions. Many banks, mobile operators, vendors Computer Science and Engineering from Tula’s institute
and companies are implementing NFC technology. (Engineering and Management college), Dehradun.
Presently he is doing M.Tech in Computer Science and
But NFC has been failed to make an impact so far. Engineering from Tula’s Institute, Dehradun. His research
Since it is new technology therefore users need to interest is in wireless networking.
learn about this technology on how it works. NFC
needs collaboration among banks, merchants and
mobile companies to provide a secured platform to
users that support NFC technology. But it is very
crucial to set up a secured platform for NFC so that
users could adopt this technology easily.

Preeti Gusain completed her B.Tech in

Computer Science and Engineering from Tula’s institute
(Engineering and Management college), Dehradun.
9. References
Presently she is doing M.Tech in Computer Science and
Engineering from Tula’s Institute, Dehradun. Her research
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rs/rfidsec2.pdf
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20Sheets/083%20NFC%20Guide.pdf
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content/uploads/2010/12/nfc_compared_to_bluet
ooth_zigbee_wifi_wimax_gsm_3g.png
4. http://www.nttdata.com/global/en/news-
center/global/2012/img/032901-01.gif
5. http://www.nearfieldcommunicationnfc.net/nfc-
vs-bluetooth.html
6. http://www.nearfieldcommunication.org/bluetoot
h.html
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_field_communi
cation
8. http://www.isuppli.com/automotive-
infotainment-and-
telematics/marketwatch/pages/nfc-and-bluetooth-

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