An access badge is a credential used to gain entry to an area having automated access control entry points. Entry points may be doors, turnstiles, parking gates or other barriers.
Access Badge Cloning
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFC) are popular technologies used for contactless authentication in various applications
An attacker might copy the data from an RFID or NFC card or badge onto another card or device to clone the Access Badge.
How does an attacker clone an access badge?
- Step 1: Scanning
- Scanning or reading the targeted individual’s access badge
- Step 2: Data Extraction
- Attackers extract the relevant authentication credentials from the card, such as a unique identifier or a set of encrypted data
- Step 3: Writing to a new card or device
- The attacker will then transfer the extracted data onto a blank RFID or NFC card or another compatible device
- Step 4: Using the cloned access badge
- Attackers gain unauthorized access to buildings, computer systems, or even make payments using a cloned NFC-enabled credit card
Access badge cloning is common because of its
- Ease of execution
- Ability to be stealthy when conducting the attack
- Potentially widespread use in compromising physical security
How can you stop access badge cloning?
- Implement advanced encryption in your card-based authentication systems