Softcard Safe to Use

[ssgtmccrae]

Hey guys,

I was wondering whether or not the smartphone wallet app, Softcard (previously Isis Wallet) is from a security standpoint, safe to use.

Being a mainstream wireless payment app, I'm a bit skeptical on the risk of something like this being gleaned similar to a wireless packet, although its using the very short range NFC wireless system. I'm basing this skepticism on the research done by several teams a couple years back at DEFCON on extreme long range RFID and Wireless signal capture and see this technology is not exactly safe only due to range.

I was also wondering whether or not any open source possibilities exist in this technology, if the bump terminals being sent with the new POS systems in stores and restaurants are strictly proprietary APIs.

Thanks,

Jace

[cooper]

According to this CNet article on NFC payments you the user still have to approve the payment.

So someone with a massive antenna boasting 1.21 jigawatts of transmitting power might get every phone on the continent to activate the NFC payment app, but not actually complete the payment because nobody would approve the transaction. The problem with RFID was that it was just a chunk of data attached to something and if you sent sufficient power to it and has a sufficiently sensitive receiver you could get the thing to divulge that chunk of data. If that CNet article is correct this won't work with an NFC wallet app on your phone.