Things to Know About Faraday Bags

You’re here for one of two reasons. Either you’re wondering what a Faraday bag is, or you want to know why you should buy one. And you’re going to get the best answers to both.

Adding one to your lineup of cybersecurity tools can be very powerful, but only if you know how to use it.

From a technical perspective, they are copper foil-powered enclosures that block all radio signals.

From a practical point of view, Faraday bags play the role of a safer “airplane mode” for your phone or a vault for your contactless credit card.

What is most fascinating about Faraday bags is that they are able to bring military-grade isolation in a small and portable form factor.

They tell a modern-day story of David defeating Goliath, as millions of dollars worth of surveillance gear can be defeated whenever you put your electronic devices inside these thick layers of copper and plastic.

History of the Faraday Cage

The Faraday Cage was first conceptualized by Michael Faraday in 1836 and previously observed in the documented experiments by Benjamin Franklyn and Jean-Antoine Nollet a century before.

 Info: Faraday cages and Faraday bags are some of the most effective and affordable ways to create protection from radio frequencies.

Since their discovery, Faraday cages have been used in various places ranging from chemistry labs where precise and sensitive measurements are required, to US Military and NATO computer centres where any unwanted radio emission must be blocked for security and equipment precision considerations.

 

 Info: Faraday cages are impractical for personal use and may be a little too elaborate for particular everyday needs. Somebody who simply wants to secure a mobile phone, internet connection, or computer by blocking radio frequencies can simply make use of a Faraday bag.

For this small-scale purpose you don’t have to shield the entire room, building, or environment to isolate individual devices – it’s enough to just purchase an affordable Faraday bag or build your own by alternating layers of plastic and aluminium.

Faraday bags are small, portable, affordable accessories that block electromagnetic fields. They are more practical versions of the mighty Faraday cage.

A Faraday bag is a type of Faraday cage.

It protects electronics from being damaged by radio frequency interference (RFI) or from an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) by not allowing radio frequency or electromagnetic pulse waves to pass through the material.

It goes by a lot of names such as RFID bag, RFID blocking bag, or EMP bag.

How a Faraday bag works?

It creates a completely enclosed space that is surrounded by a mesh of conducting materials.

When an electrical field on the outside of the Faraday cage interacts with the material, it causes the charges within the protected space to be distributed in a way that cancels the effects.

It also works to protect against radio frequency interference.

This way the hackers, thieves, or government agencies who are trying to track your phone or any other device will not be able to get to it because of the outer layer of the Faraday bag.

 Info: Unlike other solutions we've given in this guide, this is the only one where you don't have to trust anyone or anything except the laws of physics which is why a Faraday bag is the most reliable way to prevent your phone and location data from being monitored and mined by third parties.

An added bonus: Faraday bags can keep other data and property safe too!

What Does A Faraday Bag Do?

In a nutshell, they block all radio signals ranging from Wi-Fi and bluetooth to RFID (used by credit cards and car keys) and GPS.

Whenever you want to prevent unwanted attacks on your electronic devices, it’s a good idea to place them in a Faraday cage.

But when you find yourself in a situation where you need to use your devices on the go while employing the maximum amount of security, Faraday bags will get the job done.

 Warning: When it comes to securing your electronic devices, switching to “airplane mode” or manually turning off every communication feature (Wi-Fi, bluetooth, GPS, infrared, RFID) does not suffice.

 

 Info: And as long as your devices are inside a Faraday bag, no signal will be capable of penetrating its thick layers of intertwined copper mesh and plastic.

You prevent malevolent attacks before they can even happen.

This way, you can stop worrying about stealthy remote hacks forever and allow your phone, car keys, Bitcoin hardware wallets, and RFID credit cards to rest in a safe environment while you don’t use them.

Are Faraday Bags Effective?

 Info: Faraday cages are so efficient and affordable that they are used and trusted by US and NATO military operatives under the Tempest standards.

Chemists who need to do precise measurements in their laboratory experiments also employ Faraday cages, so that no external radiation can influence the results.

Conversely, Faraday bags are the small and portable versions of Faraday cages.

Unlike elaborate setups that isolate an entire room or building, Faraday bags fit into your pocket and provide the same kind of security for the electronic devices that fit inside.

The build quality standard is maintained, so that the thickness of the intertwined copper and plastic layers insures the same signal-blocking effects.

In a nutshell, Faraday bags grant you the benefit of having the protection that NATO operatives have, but in a light and portable form factor.

The fact that you can take this security with you anywhere without raising suspicions is yet another advantage.

People around you will think that you’re carrying a cheap nylon wallet or some sort of common bag.

Easily blending in improves your privacy, and not exposing your devices to hackers in the first place is an excellent security practice.

Therefore, Faraday bags are effective as both radio signal repelling units that remove bluetooth, RFID, GPS, and Wi-Fi exploits, but also as basic items that secure your electronic devices without ever raising anyone’s suspicion.