Information about a seemingly futuristic RFID technology development was sent to me earlier in the week by IndustryWizard.com - and it's definitely something I want to pass on to all those readers worried about the more Orwellian aspects of RFID. A company called Nox Defense has developed an "invisible perimeter defense technology" that combines high resolution video pictures and RFID tags to help users track assets and people in real time - without their knowledge.

The system, according to a press release, "allows security officers to see a theft or intrusion as it happens, and track a stolen object even if concealed inside a briefcase, under a jacket, or stuffed inside a sock."

Here's how it works - and where the technology gets interesting: RFID readers are hidden inside walls, floors, and ceilings while tiny RFID tags are strewn about where they can be picked up by unsuspecting thieves (or unsuspecting people with no malicious intent, but that's another story just waiting to happen). As it turns out the FBI is using RFID "spy dust" particles from Nox Defense to track assets and people, though it's unclear if the "people" part means FBI personnel, the public or both. The FBI has declined to confirm exactly how it is using the technology.

One of the more covert Nox Defense technologies is ID-Dust, small RFID chips that are sprinkled on the floor, according to the release. "People pick up the ID-Dust on their shoes, which covert RFID readers track, triggering video surveillance and alerting security personnel on hand-held devices. The Nox software creates a complete history of exactly where the person travels and when, and combines a facility map with real-time video surveillance."

"The key to an effective surveillance system is intelligence in the equipment itself," said Carl Brown, president of Nox Defense, in the statement. "It does no good to install a thousand video cameras if a thousand people have to watch them all day. The system must have the ability to recognize a problem and send an alert automatically, with no human attendant."

Check out Nox's Web site. It just screams "covert tracking" with its one-page format with only a "contact us" field on a black background and a near-the-beltway address. And the technology itself? Not so futuristic since it's in the here and now.

But as always with RFID I question whether I am over-reacting to the possibilities and implications for citizens. My gut says no; my higher functioning facilities say, well just maybe. What do you think about technologies like spy dust - should it be used by governmental agencies like the FBI?