RFID PASSWORD MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR

FALSIFICATION PREVENTION IN BOOKSTORE

MANAGEMENT USING SECURE RFID TAGS

Yuichi Kobayashi, Yoji Taniguchi

Hitachi, Ltd., Systems Development Laboratory, 1099 Ohzenji, Asao, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 215-0013, Japan

Toshiyuki Kuwana

Hitachi, Ltd., Tracing & Tracking Systems Division, 890 Kashimada, Saiwai, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 212-8567, Japan

Masanori Akiyoshi

Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 2-1

Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

Keywords: RFID, falsification prevention, risk analysis.

Abstract: The receipt data on radio frequency identification (RFID) tags attached to books may be used to prevent

shoplifting in bookstores. To protect the receipt data, it is important to manage the passwords of RFID tags.

We use Secure RFID tags, which protects data with an RFID password, for preventing falsification of RFID

data. We also propose ten methods that manage RFID passwords from the point of the phases of RFID

passwords and the ways a password is associated with a Secure RFID tag. We analyze and compare these

methods using fault tree analysis. We show that our proposed RFID passwords management methods are

effective in preventing falsification for resale.

1 INTRODUCTION

The shoplifting of books is a serious problem in

Japan. A report says that there are many shoplifted

books for resale. The publishing industry in Japan is

examining a method for attaching an RFID tag to

books, which records receipt data on the RFID tag

memory. However, there is a risk of someone

reselling a shoplifted book to a second-hand

bookstore, after illegally overwriting the receipt data

in the RFID tag. So a method for protecting the data

in the RFID tag is needed.

There are several methods that mount hash logic

on an RFID tag and authenticate the user to protect

the RFID data (Weis 2003; Engberg, Harning &

Jensen 2004; Tripathy & Nandi 2006). However,

these methods are not realistic in a situation in which

an RFID tag is attached to a book because mounting

advanced calculation logic on an RFID tag requires

a larger IC chip, which increases the cost of the

RFID tag.

Secure RFID tags are low cost RFIDs. This type

of RFID tag protects data using a simple password

authentication method. We chose to use Secure

RFID tags because these tags are smaller, cost less,

and suitable for attaching to books. It is very

important to manage an RFID password when using

Secure RFID tags. Therefore we propose ten

methods for managing RFID passwords. We analyze

their security, and show that they are effective in

preventing falsification.

2 BOOK MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM WITH SECURE RFID

TAGS

In this chapter, we describe the book management

system with Secure RFID tags in a bookstore

environment.

447

Kobayashi Y., Taniguchi Y., Kuwana T. and Akiyoshi M. (2008).

RFID PASSWORD MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR FALSIFICATION PREVENTION IN BOOKSTORE MANAGEMENT USING SECURE RFID TAGS.

In Proceedings of the International Conference on e-Business, pages 447-453

DOI: 10.5220/0001908504470453

 SciTePress

Write Lock

common data

publisher data

distributor data

bookstore data

common data

publisher data

distributor data

bookstore data

common data

publisher data

distributor data

bookstore data

common data

publisher data

distributor data

bookstore data

common data

publisher data

distributor data

bookstore data

common data

publisher data

distributor data

bookstore data

Bookstore

Forward Logistics

Secondhand

Bookstore

Publisher

Distributor

common data

publisher data

distributor data

bookstore data

common data

publisher data

distributor data

bookstore data

ISBN and

Serial No.

ISBN and

Serial No.

Write Lock

ISBN and

Serial No.

ISBN and

Serial No.

Write Lock

Stock

ISBN and

Serial No.

ISBN and

Serial No.

ISBN and

Serial No.

ISBN and

Serial No.

Write Lock

Sold

Consumer

Write “Stock” at the

time of arrival.

Write “Sold” at the

time of sale.

Check for “Sold”

when buying the book.

Delete “Stock” when

the book is returned.

Reverse Logistics

Secure RFID memory

Figure 1: Shoplifter prevention method.

2.1 Book Distribution Procedure for

Preventing Shoplifting

The publishing industry in Japan is considering a

method for preventing shoplifting by using Secure

RFID tags. Figure 1 shows the procedure for

preventing shoplifting in a book distribution. First, a

bookstore writes in “Stock” onto the Secure RFID

tag when a book arrives from a distributor. This

denotes the state before being sold. Next, when a

consumer buys the book, the bookstore changes

“Stock” to “Sold” in the Secure RFID tag. At the

entrance of the store, the security system reads the

data on the Secure RFID tags to check if the book

was purchased. Finally, when a second-hand

bookstore buys a book from a consumer, it checks

whether the book’s Secure RFID tag reads “Sold” or

“Stock”. Not only bookstores, but second-hand

bookstores cooperate with the publishing industry.

All the companies relevant to book publishing and

selling can examine the system to counter the

shoplifting problem.

In order for this system to work, the data of the

Secure RFID tag must not be able to be easily

rewritten from “Sold” to “Stock”. Rewriting

information should be done with an access control

function with a password of the Secure RFID tag.

2.2 An Existing RFID Passwords

Management Method

Figure 2 shows the RFID password management

system for a bookstore.

Operation 1: When the book arrives, the book’s

code written in the Secure RFID tag is read, and the

pre-arrival data is checked. After it is checked, the

book code is input into the server with the arrival

data. Then, the date of arrival, bookstore code,

“Stock”, etc... are written onto the Secure RFID tag.

An RFID password is then set up for the Secure

RFID tag, and the memory is locked using that

password.

Operation 2: When the book is sold, the book code

in the Secure RFID is read, the price is checked, and

the sale information is input into the server. At this

time, the memory of the Secure RFID tag is

unlocked by using the RFID password, and “Sold” is

rewritten onto the Secure RFID tag. Finally, the

memory is locked again by using the password.

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448

BOOKSTORE

only read data

Surveillance

read data and

write new data

using the tag

password

Sale of books

read data and

set up a tag

password

Arrival of books

Handy

Interrogator

Handy

Interrogator

Fixed

Interrogator

Fixed

Interrogator

Gate

only read data

Returned books

Figure 2: System using the Secure RFID tags in the bookstore.

Operation 3: A gate type interrogator system at the

entrance is set up, and the interrogator checks if

“Sold” or “Stock” is written on the Secure RFID tag.

Operation 4: If the book is returned, the memory of

the Secure RFID tag is unlocked by using the RFID

password, and all data from the bookstore and the

password are deleted. Afterwards, the returned

book’s information is input into the server.

The publishing industry in Japan tries to manage

RFID passwords by using identical passwords in all

bookstores, and applies the RFID password

management method for each bookstore. This

method has the advantage of being less expensive;

however, if one RFID password is stolen, all Secure

RFID tags are compromised. The possibility of

information being falsified on the Secure RFID tags

attached to books stocked in all bookstores is high.

Therefore, the distinction between a shoplifted book

and a legally bought one becomes difficult in a

second-hand bookstore, and the effect of preventing

theft by using the Secure RFID tag weakens. It is

necessary to manage RFID passwords more

carefully.

3 RFID PASSWORDS

MANAGEMENT METHODS

We propose ten methods for managing not identical

RFID passwords but different passwords so that the

risk after a password is stolen will be lessened. It is

effective to divide RFID passwords into groups to

manage different RFID passwords. For example, the

group includes an inspection interrogator, a book,

etc… Moreover, because it is usually impossible to

read the RFID password set in the Secure RFID tag,

it is necessary to set the RFID tag with an RFID

password beforehand. Therefore, we present ten

methods which can be used to manage RFID

passwords from the point of a phase of RFID

password management and the ways in which a

password is associated with a Secure RFID tag.

Figure 3 shows the relationship between the phase of

RFID passwords, and the ways passwords are used

for a Secure RFID. There are four phases of RFID

password management, (1) each bookstore, (2) each

inspection interrogator system, (3) each arrival, and

(4) each book. On the other hand, there are (a) the

way of using a conversion table, (b) the way of using

operation logic, and (c) the way of updating a key.

We define the combination of phases of RFID

passwords and the ways a password is used for a

Secure RFID tag as the RFID password management

methods.

3.1 Phases for Managing RFID

Passwords

A bookstore that manages RFID passwords

separately by each group lessens the risk of RFID

tag falsification more than a bookstore that manages

identical RFID passwords. We explain the phases

for managing RFID passwords as follows.

RFID PASSWORD MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR FALSIFICATION PREVENTION IN BOOKSTORE

MANAGEMENT USING SECURE RFID TAGS

449

each

interrogator

each

interrogator

identical

each

bookshop

each

bookshop

each

book

each

book

existing method

each

arrival

each

arrival

conversion

table

operation

logic

update

electronic key

conversion

table

operation

logic

update

electronic key

conversion

table

operation

logic

update

electronic key

(１)

(２)

(３)

(４)

(ａ) (ｂ) (ｃ)

(ａ)

(ｂ) (ｃ)

Figure 3: Classification of Password Management Methods.

(1) Each bookshop: Manage the different RFID

passwords in each bookstore. Each bookstore

decides and manages an RFID password.

(2) Each interrogator system: Manage the

different RFID passwords in each interrogator

system in a bookstore when the book arrives.

Each interrogator sets up an RFID password

and an interrogator’s ID to the Secure RFID

tag attached to the newly arrived book.

(3) Each interrogator system and arrival: Manage

the different RFID passwords in each

interrogator system in a bookstore when the

book arrives and update the RFID passwords

each time books arrive. Each interrogator

system sets up an RFID password, an

interrogator’s ID, and the arrival date to the

Secure RFID tag.

(4) Each book: Manage the different RFID

passwords in each Secure RFID tag attached

to the book. The bookstore associates the

RFID password with a unique ID that

identifies the Secure RFID tag.

It is possible to manage the different RFID

passwords in each title of the book. However, the

titles with only one book in stock accounts for 70%

of the inventory in most bookstores. Therefore, we

omit the explanation for each title here because each

title and each book are almost the same.

3.2 Ways in which RFID Passwords

are Associated with a Secure RFID

Tag

When a different RFID password is set to a Secure

RFID tag, the system should associate that password

with that Secure RFID tag. We explain the ways in

which this is accomplished.

(a) Conversion table: The system generates the

RFID password at random, and associates the

RFID password with the interrogator’s ID,

arrival date, or a unique ID written to the

Secure RFID tag to identify the phase of RFID

password management.

(b) Operation logic: Use operation logic with an

electronic key. The system generates an RFID

password by calculating data, such as the

interrogator’s ID, arrival date, or a unique ID

written to the Secure RFID tag (Kobayashi,

Kuwana, Taniguchi & Komoda 2007).

electronic key used in (b).

4 SECURITY EVALUATION OF

RFID PASSWORD

MANAGEMENT METHODS

In this chapter, we show the results form a fault tree

analysis (FTA) of the RFID password management

methods, and compare those analysis results.

ICE-B 2008 - International Conference on e-Business

450

(B-12) A password

will be decoded by

ha cking

(C-1) An

interrogator

will be stolen

(C-2) Can falsify

sales data using the

stolen interrogator

RFID data will be falsified,

and resal e of the book will

be successful

(B-2) Can falsify

sales data using a

stolen password

B C

0.3%

4.1%

B-1

(B-11) Can falsify sales

data using a password

stolen at another bookstore

Figure 4: FTA of shoplifting a book.

4.1 Fault Tree Analysis of RFID

Passwords Management Methods

We analyzed the security performance of the RFID

password management method, which combined the

phase of an RFID password and the ways in which

the password is associated with a Secure RFID tag

described above, using FTA.

We know that the probability of a successful

falsification of RFID data for resale is low; the RFID

password management method will have a high

security performance. Therefore, let a top event of

FTA be the probability that the RFID data of a

shoplifted book will be falsified, and resale of the

book will be successful in one month. Moreover, it

is necessary to decipher the RFID password of the

Secure RFID tag so that someone may falsify the

RFID data. There are two effective attacks for

deciphering an RFID password. The first is that

someone illegally uses a common interrogator and

hacks into the Secure RFID tag like brute force

attack. The second attack is that someone steals and

illegally uses the handy interrogator of the bookstore.

The FTA is shown in Figure 4. The probability of

each event of FTA is explained below.

(B-11): This event is the probability of falsifying the

RFID data of a bookstore using the RFID

password stolen at another bookstore. In the

existing RFID password management method,

this probability P

B-11

is 100% because an

RFID password is identical at all the

bookstores. In the proposed RFID password

management method, this probability P

B-11

0% because the RFID passwords at least differ

for each bookstore.

(B-12): This event is the probability that an RFID

password will be decoded in one month by

hacking into a Secure RFID tag. This

probability P

B-12

was obtained from the

following expression.

(

)

%1.41

−

TimeEmonthP

(1)

E (Time) is an expected time spent on the

hacking attack. The time that a Secure RFID

tag is checked whether one password is right

using one interrogator is assumed to be about

30 milliseconds and the length of the Secure

RFID password is assumed to be 32 bits

according to the specification of Secure RFID.

(B-2): This event is the probability of falsifying

sales data on a Secure RFID tag in one month

using a common interrogator. This probability

depends on the number of books that can be

falsified using a decoded RFID password.

This probability P

B-2

is 100% in the case of the

existing method or “(1) each bookstore”

because all RFID passwords in the bookstore

are the same. In the case of “(2) each

interrogator”, this probability P

B-2

is 33%

when there are three interrogators for

inspection is three. In the case of “(3) each

interrogator and arrival”, this probability P

B-2

was obtained by the following expression.

%271

−

BNABNINP

(2)

where IN denotes the number of the

interrogators for inspection, ABN denotes the

number of applicable stocked books, and BN

denotes the number of stocked books. The

applicable stocked book means the books that

remain unsold for one month because the

RFID PASSWORD MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR FALSIFICATION PREVENTION IN BOOKSTORE

MANAGEMENT USING SECURE RFID TAGS

451

0.1

100

conversion table

operation logic

update electronic key

identical

each

ookstor

each

interro

ato

each

interrogato

& arriva

each

falsification risk (%)

Figure 5: Relationship between the management phases and the falsification risk.

decoded RFID password is associated with

those books. IN is assumed to be three and

ABN/BN is assumed to be 0.79 because the

merchandise turnover is about 17%, and the

update frequency of the RFID passwords is

once a week. In the case of “(4) each book”,

this probability P

B-2

is 1% when the number of

books stolen in one month in one store is 100,

because the number of books that can be

falsified by using the decoded RFID password

is only one.

(C-1): This event is the probability that an

interrogator will be stolen from a bookstore in

one month. Here, this probability P

C-1

assumed to be 0.3%.

(C-2): This event is the probability of falsifying

sales data on a Secure RFID tag in one month

using the stolen interrogator. This probability

depends on the ways in which an RFID

password is associated with a Secure RFID tag.

In the case of “(a) conversion table”, this

probability depends on the managing phase of

RFID passwords because the conversion table

is contained in the interrogator of the

bookstore. This probability P

C-2

is 100% in the

case of “(1) each bookstore”, 33% in the case

of “(2) each interrogator” or 27% in the case

of “(3) each interrogator and arrival”, as well

as in the case of the (B-2) event. In the case of

“(4) each book” this probability P

C-2

is 76%

because the merchandise turnover is about

17% and the update frequency of the RFID

passwords is once a day. In the case of “(b)

operation logic”, this probability P

C-2

is 100%

because the operation logic is contained in the

interrogator of the bookstore. In the case of

“(c) update electronic key”, this probability

can be estimated at 80% when changing the

key once a week.

The result of FTA for each RFID password

management method is shown in Table 1. The RFID

password management methods below from “(1)

each bookstore” is classified into the phases of RFID

password management and the ways in which an

RFID password is associated with a Secure RFID

tag. The falsification risk in Table 1 is the

probability that falsification of the RFID data for

resale will be successful. This falsification risk is

low because the security of the method is high.

4.2 Comments of the Results of FTA

Figure 5 shows the probability that a falsification

will be successful for each RFID password

management method. This figure also shows that the

difference between the phases of RFID password

management is larger than the difference between

the ways in which a password is associated with a

Secure RFID tag. We found that it is better to

manage RFID passwords in several phase. Moreover,

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452

all the RFID password management methods are

effective in preventing falsification for resale

because the highest probability that falsification will

be successful for “(1) each bookstore” is 4.25% for

all the methods.

Table 1: Comparison of the security risk for each RFID

password management method.

RFID passwords

management method

Falsification

Risk

Identical 100.00 %

(1) Each bookstore 4.25 %

(a) Conversion

table

(2) Each interrogator 1.42 %

(3) Each interrogator

& arrival

1.13 %

(4) Each book 0.24 %

(b) Operation

logic

(2) Each interrogator 1.58 %

(3) Each interrogator

& arrival

1.31 %

(4) Each book 0.30 %

electronic key

(2) Each interrogator 1.53 %

(3) Each interrogator

& arrival

1.26 %

(4) Each book 0.25 %

5 CONCLUSIONS

We proposed methods that use Secure RFID tags

and RFID password management for preventing

falsification of RFID data in book distribution.

These proposed methods were explained by the

point of phases of RFID passwords, and the ways in

which a password is associated with a Secure RFID

tag. We showed that these methods decreased the

probability of falsification to about 5% or less in this

situation. These results are useful for RFID

password management in bookstores.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This paper is based on the achievement of a

Japanese National Research and Development

Project, the “Secure RFID Project” that was

conducted by METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade,

and Industry) for the eight months from August

2006 to March 2007.

REFERENCES

Weis, S 2003, ‘Security and Privacy in Radio-Frequency

Identification Devices’, Masters Thesis, Massachusetts

Institute of Technology.

Engberg, SJ, Harning, MB & Jensen, C 2004, ‘Zero-

knowledge device authentication: Privacy and security

enhanced RFID preserving business value and

consumer convenience’, in the Second Annual

Conference on Privacy, Security and Trust (PST'04),

pp.89-101

Tripathy, S & Nandi, S 2006, ‘Robust Mutual

Authentication for Low-cost RFID Systems’, in 4th Int.

IEEE Conf. Industrial Informatics (INDIN’06),

pp.949-954.

Kobayashi, Y, Kuwana, T, Taniguchi, Y & Komoda, N

2007, ‘Group Management System of RFID

Passwords for Item Life Cycle’, in Emerging

Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA 2007),

pp.884-887.

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MANAGEMENT USING SECURE RFID TAGS

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