One of the most reliable ways to protect against counterfeiters is to lock product authenticity into hardware. Atmel’s new RFID device, CryptoRF, creates unique “signatures” based on information that is never transmitted or accessible in any way.

Today, there’s a new unique anti-counterfeiting solution. It offers hardware security, which challenges the superiority of software solutions; and it combines hardware security with key diversification, delivering an effective security solution and providing a key diversification scheme that limits any attack to specific individual units. All this, plus a shorter application development time cycle.

Atmel® Corporation recently launched CryptoRF®, the world’s first 13.56 MHz RFID devices with a 64-bit embedded cryptographic engine, mutual authentication capability, and up to 16 individually configurable zones. This device helps prevent product counterfeiting.

Virtually impossible to copy. CryptoRF product labels and tags are ideal for applications that:

* Involve products prone to counterfeiting such as high value consumer items and software

* Require a permanent record of the chain of ownership such as pharmaceutical tracking

* Represent cash transactions like bus passes, loyalty or campus cards

Secure dynamic mutual authentication capability. CryptoRF works better than conventional RFID tags, which can be copied using a low-cost RFID tag reader. Copied information from such systems can then be used to create fake tags for counterfeit products. In contrast, CryptoRF devices have a 64-bit embedded hardware cryptographic engine – with 64-Kbit keys that are completely inaccessible.

Plus, CryptoRF supports a mutual authentication protocol to establish a trusted link between itself and a host reader. The CryptoRF device and the host reader can demonstrate knowledge of non-readable data stored within each of them – without actually transmitting the information. Each transaction generates a unique cryptogram which, when intercepted during said transaction, cannot be used to effect a second activity. The likelihood of a “fake” device creating the correct cryptogram is about one in a quintillion. This is a result of each CryptoRF device having its own set of authentication keys – in essence, every device is unique. Fuse bits are blown to permanently lock the security information within the device.

Chain of ownership tracking. Since CryptoRF devices are available with densities of from 1-Kbit to 64-Kbits of user memory, it can accommodate a wide range of information storage. In fact, a single CryptoRF device can hold a complete history of a product’s ownership, distribution, and disposition. The user memory itself may be divided into as many as 16 separate zones, each of which can be customized to allow different levels of read- and write-access, including read-and-write, read-only, one-time-programmable or requires authentication.

Royalty Free ISO1443-B RF Interface. Atmel's CryptoRF devices integrate a 13.56 MHz radio based on the ISO 14443-B standard with a range up to 10 cm. It is deliverable as modules for creation of RFID cards, complete RFID tags, and thinned wafers. Atmel also offers a comprehensive range of CryptoRF reference designs, demonstration kits and application software that facilitate the implementation of CryptoRF into existing products.

CryptoRF can be used for production authentication, anti-counterfeiting, public transportation, track and trace, drivers’ license and identification and insurance cards, logistics management, secure access control, among many other applications.