New officers for RFID Security Alliance

Industry group the RFID Security Alliance (RFIDSA) has elected a new chair, Michael McCartney, as well as a new vice chair (Neil Mitchell), and secretary/treasurer (Anna Haight).

The organisation was set up in 2008 with the brief of promoting education on security and privacy issues around radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, with members from around a dozen of the leading RFID technology providers.

The group represents "perhaps the most knowledgeable group of individuals in the RFID community who have voluntarily come together to share ideas and start a long process of providing security improvements to our technical community and to the public at large," said McCartney (pictured).

McCartney is the principal and founder of QLM Consulting, while Mitchell is vice president of marketing at Mikoh Corp. Haight is project director at QLM Consulting.

"Given ehealth mandates, the pharmaceutical industry's concerns over counterfeit drugs, and the food industries focus on tracking and tracing the perishable supply chain, RFID and RFID security issues will be more in the forefront of corporate thinking than before," said McCartney in his welcome message on the RFIDSA blog, which can be read here.

The RFIDSA will soon start a membership drive to ask for contributions to cover the legal costs to convert the organisation to non-profit status, he added.

"This status will enable the organisation to qualify for federal, state and local grants for RFID security issues and research" said McCartney.