The Flipper Zero reading the Apple Pay NFC signal from my Apple Watch Ultra.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
RFID is everywhere, even packed into your credit and debit cards, allowing the information to be read in a “contactless” fashion.
Concerns that cards could be read covertly have generated a massive industry of security devices designed to block or somehow interfere with this contactless reading of the cards.
You can find wallets, purses, and card protectors designed to prevent your cards from being read stealthily.
But do these security devices work?
Well, I have a Flipper Zero, and this amazing device can read NFC.
FAQ: Flipper Zero: ‘Can you really hack Wi-Fi networks?’ and other questions answered
So, let’s try it out.
What I’m using it to test out here are Vulkit RFID blocking cards, which are designed to protect credit cards, debit cards, and ID cards using 13.56MHz-frequency RFID from unauthorized scanning.
The blocking card looks like any other credit or debit card, and doesn’t need any charging or anything. All you need to do is pop it into your wallet or purse, and it’s supposed to block RFID reading.
The Vulkit RFID blocking card looks like any other credit, debit, or ID card.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
But does it work?
First I fired up the Flipper Zero, and tested an unprotected debit card. It read the data
Read more