Near field communication (NFC) and its validity as a secure system of Essay

Near field communication (NFC) and its validity as a secure system of data transfer - Essay Example Being a non-contact technology, the NFC is highly advantageous as it does not require establishment of physical electrical contact. As such, in applications such as those requiring the use of cards, there is no need of inserting cards that use NFC into the reader, thus avoiding any problems that may be associated with poor contact. It is important to note that NFC uses inductive-coupling at a license free frequency allocation in the radio spectrum HF portion(Ahson & Ilyas, 2012, p. 33). NFC has a set of standards that govern it thus allowing for connectivity between NFC devices from different manufacturers. Besides creating the contactless environment for NFC interactions, the standards also determine the data transfer rates and the data formats. An NFC connection is simply achieved by bringing two electronic devices together within a close range to allow them to communicate. This eradicates the problem with identification and minimizes the issue with security, allowing for easier exchange of information. The NFC can be used for a variety of applications including in: mobile phones to transfer files from one handset to another; personal computers to link up networks for data transmission; point-of sale machines; turnstiles; parking meters; vending machines; and in other applications in the house or office, such as opening and closing of the garage doors(Finkenzeller, 2010, p. 80). The NFC connections could also be applied in the configuration of the connection between two devices that have wireless connections. Bringing the devices together allows for the initiation of the NFC connection which in turn initiates the set-up procedure. Other long-range wireless devices including the Bluetooth could be configured through communication with the NFC interface(Coskun, et al., 2011). NFC are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle (MITM) attackswhich involve attackers succeeding in interception of the communication