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What is NFC (Near Field Communication)?
NFC, or Near Field Communication (NFC), is a wireless communication technology. It allows devices to communicate within a very short distance. By fast, we mean extremely short. NFC's maximum distance is around 10 centimeters. Near-field communications are not ideal for GPS tracking or streaming. They also do not work well with social media, GPS, or other applications that need a longer-distance link.
NFC was designed to exchange information between NFC-enabled objects. To communicate with this method, both the NFC-enabled device and its use must be nearby. If two smartphones wanted to use NFC for communication, they would need this feature. You may have to enable the NFC to function yourself, as your phone might not come equipped with it. Near Field Communication (also known as NFC) is a technology for wireless Personal Area Networks that allows two devices to be connected nearby.
Near-field communication is a set of protocols which allows two devices that are compatible to communicate across a small distance. This can be as little as four centimeters. With the NFC standard, mobile devices like smartphones can share data quickly and easily with each other with a simple tap. For the technology to work, it must have two compatible devices - both an initiator and a target. Let's now look at the history of NFC.
RFID is also known as radio-frequency identification. RFID is a technology that dates to the 1980s. It uses both a transmitter and a receiver for identification. The tag transmits an identification number that the receiver picks up and verifies. RFID technology has been widely adopted in many areas, including supply chain management and livestock tracking. RFID is used in keycards you might use for hotels or offices.
NFC was also invented around the same time as RFID. NFC is a two-way system, whereas RFID only allows for a one-way exchange. This opens up more possibilities in terms of applications. NFC's use often sets it apart from RFID.
How is Near-Field Technology used in Today's World?
Two NFC-compatible devices can communicate if both are active or if one of them is happening while the other is not. When an NFC active device transmits data at 106 kbit/s, a modified version of Miller coding is applied with 100% modulation.
- Active Communication Mode: Both the initiator and target devices are in this mode. Both devices have power sources and can generate alternate fields through which to communicate. While waiting for data, an active device will deactivate its radio frequency field (RF).
- Passive Communication Mode: In passive communication, the initiator provides a carrier wave while the receiver is responsible for modulating it. Passive devices lack power and must draw their power from the electromagnetic fields of initiator devices.
NFC has several advantages. The benefits of NFC far outweigh its costs. Communication is faster and more automatic. The device is compatible with RFID. NFC is easy to use. Users can use it with a basic understanding of technology.
NFC has some limitations. NFC is limited to a short distance and has security flaws such as listening in, which can lead to information loss. NFC is slow and has low data transfer rates, which makes it inefficient for large file transfers between peers.
What Makes NFC Unique From Other Wireless Technologies?
NFC, while it's a wireless technology that allows data to be transferred between devices in a local area network (LAN), is not the same as other technologies such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Wi-Fi allows data to be transferred over long distances within a Local Area Network. NFC is another peer-to-peer communication technology.
This technology is less powerful as well. It is also less powerful than Bluetooth. It does have some unique advantages. The connection between NFC-compatible devices is automatically made, whereas Bluetooth devices must be manually connected to exchange data. NFC requires less setup time, around 0.1 seconds. Bluetooth v2 requires more setup time (approximately six seconds). NFC allows you to transfer data even if one of the devices is inactive. NFC allows for bi-directional data transfer, while Bluetooth only allows a directional one.
How Does Near-Field Communication Work?
A wireless technology based on RFID, near-field communication uses induction coupling to enable communication between two compatible devices that are close. Induction coupling is used to allow communication between devices. Users can automatically send data between NFC-enabled devices just by touching them both or bringing them closer to one another. NFC uses the 13.56MHz unlicensed frequency. The data transmission rate is 212 kbit/s.
Two NFC-compatible devices that are nearby can work together to transfer data using two different modes. First, there is active mode. This mode allows two devices powered by the same source to transmit bi-directional data between them.
For instance, virtual prizes can be sent between gaming controllers and cell phones that support NFC. When two NFC-capable cell phones are brought together, a link is automatically made. The data transfer then occurs through an RF region that is generated alternately by them. Once the user chooses the file to send, the smartphone receiving the data will stop producing an RF signal. The highest possible data transfer rate is 424 kbit/s.
In the second mode, a passive device can read data from an NFC tag. This mode allows an active device to read the data on an NFC tag. A smartphone, for example, can be used to gain access to an office building. The smartphone generates an electromagnetic field that the NFC tags modulate when it is nearby. The smartphone's electromagnetic field provides the power needed to operate the NFC tag. Data can be transferred between devices. The smartphone can also read data from the NFC tags, and the office door will automatically open if they are allowed entry.
Modalities of Operation
Each mode of NFC operation has a different communication method. The differences in the communication method and field of use are a result.
- Peer-to-Peer Mode: Peer-to-peer mode is compatible with ISO/IEC 18092. The technology supports communication between NFC-compatible devices. Any device may act at any time as an initiator or target.
- Reader/Writer Mode: This mode complies with ISO/IEC 14443, FeliCa and other standards. This allows the devices to be able to read NFC tags such as those integrated into smart posters.
- Emulation Mode: This mode allows an NFC Reader to read data from cards, such as smartcards. This mode enables an NFC-capable device to connect with an NFC reader the same as it would a smartcard. Users use smartphones to access information such as tickets.
Near Field Communication Examples
NFC has a wide range of applications. These ten use cases illustrate the power of NFC:
Tickets
The process of setting up concerts can take a lot of work for event planners. It begins with printing tickets, and they are then checked. This process also involves a lot of workforces, which can translate into high costs. The method of entering the data takes much longer than what is performed.
Event organizers can use NFC technology to reduce the waste of paper and the amount of time it takes for attendees to enter. NFC is eco-friendly and enhances the experience of consumers. They can also translate to huge savings. Airports, train stations, and bus companies can also use NFC technology to reduce boarding times by improving the speed of the counterchecking process. This will enhance the customer experience.
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Pay with Your Phone
Contactless payments are a better alternative to smart cards because they offer convenience and security. Contact smart cards are not subject to the same wear-and-tear problems as contactless cards. Cell phones generally require users to have a SIM card to authenticate themselves to the cellular network.
Data encryption and decryption are carried out in this safe region, and it also offers security requirements, such as requesting users' identification numbers (PINs) before approving transactions. Secure payments can be made using a SIM card. The SIM card is used by mobile network carriers and other network operators, such as banks, to offer mobile financial services. Smartphones that support contactless payments include those with nfc payment apps android, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Simple Data Transfer
To transfer data using Bluetooth, the two devices must be manually connected. This is a lengthy process. NFC can improve connectivity and bootstrap between devices. By simply touching the devices, files can be sent between NFC-compatible devices. This leads to a better consumer experience and less time wasted.
Voting by Electronic Means
The electronic voting system is a convenient and secure way for a community to fulfill their civic responsibility of choosing leaders. The system can be applied at all voting levels, such as colleges, states, and even the national level. Electronic voting allows more people to vote without having to wait in long queues. This increases productivity. When users register in a secure application, they receive an NFC tag. This tag can be used to cast a vote from anywhere. Information about the candidate is also saved on an NFC Tag.
Health and Fitness
People can track their fitness from their smartphones with ease. Companies use NFC to allow users to easily transfer information from wristbands, such as calories and steps, to smartphones. Similarly, companies who monitor sleep use NFC technology in devices. This allows them to track the sleep cycle and duration of their patients.
World Cup Tickets
Since 2006, the World Cup organizers have incorporated RFID tags into their tickets. Although adding RFID tags on tickets increases the cost, the advantages vastly outweigh this. Contrary to regular football tickets, these tickets cannot be copied. This technique allows FIFA to maximize its benefits while avoiding issues like multiple bookings and unpaid admittance. FIFA can gather information about spectators using NFC technology, such as age and gender.
Advertisement
NFC can be used to read and scan information on smart posters. Smart posters have a tag that can be monitored to store data. Anyone with an NFC-compatible device can read the signs. They do not need to stand in front of the poster to draw unwanted attention. Both advertisers and consumers benefit from this. NFC allows advertisers to exchange more information without worrying about banner size or quantity.
Record Keeping
NFC is a great tool to keep track of your records. These devices are more reliable and accurate than manual entry, less likely to be tampered with by humans, and they can also be easily accessed. Several sectors can use NFC technology to keep records up-to-date, including health, logistics and supply. NFC tags are useful in the healthcare sector to record patient medical history information. NFC tags are useful in the supply and logistics sectors to keep track of inventory. This saves time and reduces the resources needed to record this important information.
Automated Check-in Systems
The hospitality sector can employ NFC to enhance the customer experience. For instance, they may let guests use NFC-enabled smartphones as hotel keys. They can minimize standing in queues and cut down on wait times for check-in and checkout by implementing NFC. Organizations can use NFC to restrict access for both employees and visitors to particular floors or offices. Without being obtrusive, they can monitor the working hours and times of entry and leave. Both public and private road owners can use NFC to restrict access to unmanned toll booths.
Home Automation
NFC allows owners of smart homes to connect their devices with ease. NFC enables new devices to be easily configured so that they can coexist in the same house. It can be annoying to have to remember passwords every time you want access to restricted home devices. This can lead to password security. Homeowners can access their devices easily and safely without having to remember all of the passwords. NFC tags are also able to be programmed to allow users to open windows, set alarms or call certain contacts.
Read More: Best Online NFC Payment Apps That Are Secure to Use in 2023
How is NFC Popular?
NFC's application for contactless payment option has made it popular over the past few years. Before NFC, it was common to swipe or insert your card in the terminal. NFC allows people to pay quickly and easily without ever having to touch the terminal. The most popular NFC payment apps are Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. The Samsung Wallet app and the Google Wallet app both contain the latter two applications.
In the wake of the COVID-19 viral outbreak, NFC gained even more popularity. This made it possible for users to engage remotely with frequently touched objects like payment terminals. It's not surprising that people gravitated towards this technology because it reduced the risk of catching virus particles on payment terminals.
Some countries have increased the limit for contactless payment apps so they can be used to make larger purchases, such as grocery shopping. NFC's application is not limited to payment speed. NFC is useful in many different ways. Smart ticketing, for example. The NFC technology allows people to scan and verify their tickets at the event. Many NFC-enabled payment apps now support smart ticketing. NFC is also useful in the smart home.
For instance, you could utilize NFC technology to open safes and doors. The healthcare industry can also use NFC. For example, a patient might swiftly and virtually check in at the doctor's office. Because doctor's offices are thought to be contaminated with germs, patients may choose a non-contact check-in option.
Using NFC, you may easily transfer content between two different smartphones. Within a split second, video, photos, and other file kinds can be shared between NFC-enabled devices. A wonderful Bluetooth substitute is NFC. For this to function, the two appliances must be quite close together. NFC has a significantly shorter range than Bluetooth, even though you don't need to link your devices with it to communicate.
NFC: The Risks
Before we discuss the dangers of NFC, it's important to note that the technology is equipped with a variety of security measures designed to reduce the likelihood of criminal activities. NFC's short-range capability makes it difficult for cybercriminals who target victims to commit scams. NFC also uses encryption in order to protect sensitive information, like payment details, from malicious actors. This doesn't mean that NFC is airtight.
Cybercriminals, as is true with other technologies of today, have discovered a way to use NFC in their favor. This has led to a variety of risks, such as hacks. A cybercriminal hacks an NFC phone to gain access to the stored data. Cybercriminals steal phones to gain admission easily because NFC hacks are only possible via a short distance.
A hacker can use NFC to gain access to data on payment terminals. This type of attack can even affect ATMs. The attacker can use their NFC device to malfunction the ATM. The attacker could use this feature to cause a malfunction in the ATM system. NFC hackers are particularly dangerous because they can clone your NFC chip, which you use for payments. The attacker could then use funds from your debit or credit account to pay for goods.
A person could perform an NFC spying attack by standing near the device they are targeting and picking up NFC signals. The attacker can also enhance the ability to gather data using an antenna. An attacker can also use NFC to conduct a "man-in-the-middle" attack, in which the communication between an active terminal (e.g. An NFC enabled smartphone and a busy airport), such as a payment system (e.g. A payment system is intercepted to gather valuable information).
It is wise to disable the near-field communications feature when your device isn't in use. It will prevent cybercriminals from exploiting your device by using near-field communication. You can also add PIN verification to your NFC app to prevent it from being used by anyone.
Is NFC Secure?
NFC is a great way to make contactless, seamless payments. It also simplifies a variety of other tasks. It's important to be aware of security issues when using NFC, whether it is a technology you regularly use or are considering.
The Difference Between EMV and NFC
It's possible to hear EMV and NFC mentioned together in some conversations. Because the future of safe payments lies with NFC and Europay, Mastercard, Visa (EMV) respectively. EMV and NFC technologies, however, are two distinct categories of technology. Apple Pay is linked to Near Field Communication (NFC), a mobile contactless payment mechanism. Chip cards are connected to EMV, which was developed by American Express and Discover and is jointly maintained by Mastercard, UnionPay, and Visa.
Quick Refresher: In the United States, chip cards have replaced magnetic stripe cards as standard. The new magnetic stripe cards have proven to be more secure and less counterfeitable than these chip cards. The countries already using EMV cards (the U.S. has been late in adopting this technology) have experienced a drastic reduction in certain forms of credit card fraud.
You'll need to prepare your business to start accepting EMV as soon as possible. You'll also need to upgrade your point-of-sale terminal because the chip card is dipped, not swiped. Payment terminals that support both EMV transactions and NFC transactions are available to ensure you're able to accept the most up-to-date, secure payment methods from your clients. EMV as well as NFC both 'authenticate' payments.
Why Should We Accept NFC?
NFC payments will be the way of the future because they are fast, convenient, and secure. Let's dive a little deeper:
Secure Your Home with a More Secure Lock
Apple Pay and other mobile wallets tokenize bank information, which means they make it unintelligible to fraudsters. These tokens are also changed every time an NFC transaction is completed, making it nearly impossible for fraudsters to extract the information.
Apple Pay and NFC payments are both secured by fingerprint or facial recognition technologies built into iPhones (you can initiate an Apple Pay transaction with Touch ID, Face ID, etc.). Although fraudsters are clever, they cannot replicate your face or fingerprint.
Faster
Everyone is getting EMV chip cards. It's a great thing because these cards are much more secure than those with magnetic stripes. What many people need to realize is that EMV transactions can be quite slow. They're much slower than Magstripe. The chip on the card communicates with the processing unit to ensure everything is in order. This is good. The lag is noticeable if there's a long line. NFC allows you to make payments in just a few seconds.
NFC transactions take only seconds, compared to minutes for EMV transactions. As people begin to experience the slowness of using chip cards, they will likely switch to mobile payment apps systems. They are just as safe as EMV. This pattern has been seen in countries where EMV is the standard. The adoption of NFC-enabled contactless payment increased when chip cards became the standard. Businesses benefit greatly from speedy NFC transactions. Fast transactions can lead to more sales.
It's More Convenient
Our phones are becoming our primary devices. Some people even feel naked without their phones. Contactless NFC payments are the easiest way to make payments because more people have their smartphones at hand. There's no need to dig through wallets and fiddle with money.
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Conclusion
NFC (near-field communication) has been around for a while but has just recently come to its full potential. NFC was used to make safe, contactless payments during the pandemic. It is crucial when taking into account the emergence of the Internet of Things, which is characterized by smart homes, fully automated stores, and user-friendly services. Organizations should therefore get ready for NFC adoption, which might streamline and automate several local network operations.
