I got chipped

Last week I had a chip installed.

If you’re reading this page directly there’s a good chance you scanned my hand with your phone and opened the URL it sent you.

I chose to get a Dangerous Things NeXT which combines NFC (which is what you can scan with your phone) and an RFID module. The RFID side is a T5577 which means it can emulate a variety of different ID card formats. These are used in lots of systems like access control so I can even let myself in places with just my hand.

It can’t do any cryptographic operations so that rules out things like Mifare Classic, DESFire, or payments. But insecure raw ID forms are still pretty common and easily cloned with a Flipper Zero.

The installation process was pretty easy and not that painful. I bought the chip directly from Dangerous Things and found a piercing place from their online map. I used Interskin in London and from chatting with them it seems they do quite a few of them.

Pain is very subjective of course and everyone is experiences it differently but for me it genuinely was just a pinching sensation over in a few seconds. I’ve had worse blood tests. The recovery has actually been worse but it’s still just a slightly sore and bruised hand and nothing bad.