Holland's Radboud University yesterday announced that researchers had managed to crack and duplicate NXP Semiconductors' MIFARE RFID tech that's used in major public transport systems like the London Underground, as well as for security in office buildings and government facilities.

The researchers also posted an extremely straightforward YouTube video explaining the hack.

"The video demonstrates how cryptography could be retrieved from readers attached to access control infrastructure or even sniffed simply by walking pass a MIFARE RFID card holder," writes TechRepublic's Sonja Thompson. "Duplicate cards are then cloned to gain unauthorized entry. What is really scary is the ease with which the attacks are successfully executed."

"One billion passes with the technology have been distributed worldwide, making the security risk a global problem," notes PC World's Tom Sanders.

And this isn't - by any means - the first time the security issue has been exposed. "Back in January, University of Virginia graduate student Karston Nohl revealed that his research team had cracked the algorithms that protect data held on RFID-equipped 'smart cards' like the Oyster card," writes TechRadar's Audley Jarvis.

More here from The Inquirer ... more here from the AP ... more here from The Register ... and the press release is here.