RFID Journal Staff asked 15 years ago Is it possible to employ radio frequency identification to authenticate certificates from colleges and universities—and if so, how?
—Name withheld
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In a word: yes.
An RFID transponder can be affixed to a university certificate with a label. Alternatively, a tiny transponder, such as Hitachi's µ-chip (pronounced "mu-chip"), can be embedded in the document itself (see Hitachi Unveils Smallest RFID Chip and Hitachi Unveils Integrated RFID Tag for more information about the chip).
The serial number must be secure so that it is not overwritten. That unique number is then stored in a database by the university issuing the certificate, and associated with the particular student handed that diploma. Information such as a facial recognition scan, photo or fingerprint can also be associated with the serial number in the RFID tag.
If a person other than the appropriate student tries to pass himself or herself off as the certificate holder, information on that holder can be quickly retrieved from the database in order to confirm that individual's identity.
—Mark Roberti, Editor, RFID Journal
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