Mutual Authentication Protocol for Networked RFID Systems

In this paper we address the problem of securing networked RFID applications. We develop and present a RFID security protocol that allows mutual authentication between the reader and tag as well as secure communication of tag data. The protocol presented uses a hybrid method to provide strong security while ensuring the resource requirements are low. To this end it employs a mix of simple one way hashing and lowcost bitwise operations. Our protocol ensures the confidentiality and integrity of all data being communicated and allows for reliable mutual authentication between tags and readers. The protocol presented is also resistant to a large number of common attacks.