RFID credit card hazards

If you have a new credit card, you may be at risk of credit card fraud in a way many of us would never expect - wireless theft!
   It's a wireless system designed to eliminate the need for physically swiping the card.  Unfortunately it also means somebody can steal your info at a distance.

   Take a moment to check your cards and see if any of them have an RFID chip.
   MasterCard calls it PayPass", American Express has "ExpressPay" and Visa calls it "Wave".  Unfortunately some cards aren't that easy to verify.  E.g. Chase's version of MasterCard service doesn't call it anything at all, there's just a stylized symbol, so you may have to contact the issuing institution and ask.

   RFID has been around for a long time, and banks have been discussing its use for almost as long, as well have researchers been discussing its hazards.  Here's a 2006 article in the NY Times demonstrating how easy it is to steal info:
      http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/23/business/23card.html
   Unfortunately it appears that despite all of the testing and proven security issues, banks have decided to roll them out to the mass market anyway and we're starting to see them everywhere.
   The banks claim that it can only be read at close proximity, (ever sat next to somebody on the bus?), and that the equipment required to steal the info is too bulky to escape detection so we're all perfectly safe.  Well, they're wrong, here's a video demonstration:
      http://tv.boingboing.net/2008/03/19/how-to-hack-an-rfide.html

   So what to do?
   Get rid of the chip!
   Most institutions will send you a non-RFID card if you request it specifically, though be careful when requesting it.  Some folks have actually had their account closed accidentally or degraded to a different type of account with fewer features.
   
   Unfortunately, if they refuse to do so, or if you're worried about unintended changes to the account, you're stuck with doing it yourself.  Some folks have been using hammers:
      http://wvp.diablops.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37
   ...and others have simply popped it in the microwave for a second or two.

   But hammers sometimes hit thumbs and the microwave option runs the risk of damaging the microwave or the card.  See here what happens if you nuke it for more than a second or two.  This guy did it for just four seconds and completely fried the card!
      http://www.hackaday.com/2008/07/08/microwaving-rfid-cards/
   A much safer option, in our opinion, is to just use a hole-punch.  (See hammer article above for where to punch the hole).

   Another option, if you REALLY want to be able to save .08 seconds at the check-out, is to buy a shielded wallet:
   http://www.difrwear.com/

   Oh, and if you travel and have a new passport?  Same problem applies!  But we suspect that the nice folks at the airport might not take so kindly to your passport RFID not working, so maybe better leave that one alone and just shield it, similar to the wallet above:
   http://www.rfidblockr.com/

(FYI: I have nothing to do with either of the wallet and passport shielding product companies above, they were located through a simple Google search).

Happy de-RFID-ing!