During the past several months, near field communications has been associated with a number of different industries and solidified itself as one of the most anticipated new technologies of 2012.

Between checking the date of your last oil change by waving your phone over your keys to purchasing a bag of chips with the flash of a smart phone, NFC has a significant opportunity to impact the technology landscape in countless ways.

Car manufacturers, payment providers and even social networking sites are touting NFC as a way to make the lives of consumers more engaging and enjoyable. With identity theft at an all time high, however, and heightened security measures in place almost everywhere – from airports to White House tours – NFC technology could have the most significant impact in the security, physical access and identity management industries.

Here are three ways NFC makes your life more secure:

1) NFC for Physical Access – Use your smart phone to enter a building

According to Pew Research, 46% of American adults own smart phones. With this number growing year over year, it won’t be long until consumers demand their smart phones open the door to new possibilities – or literally open doors.

Instead of having to carry around keys, NFC enables consumers to place their smart phone on a door reader and gain entry to a building. This keyless access presents opportunities for a variety of end-use cases. From high-level government employees seeking entry to secure locations or students who forget their dorm room keys, NFC is well suited to the security needs of today’s mobile-crazed consumer.

2) NFC for Identity Verification – Prove your identity with your Blackberry

Nowadays, it’s pretty simple to make a fake ID, teenagers have been doing it for years. Unfortunately, that isn’t always a good thing, especially when we’re talking about personal safety. When travelling, for example – passengers want to feel safe when they’re boarding an airplane.

With NFC, an airport security guard can verify passengers’ personal information by simply bumping their smart phone with the passengers’ smart phones before they enter the gate. This capability offers consumers another layer of security while they’re traveling.

3) NFC for Attribute Management – Display pertinent medical information in life and death situations

The digitalization of medical records recently has become a hot technology topic and the benefits of storing patients’ records online cannot be overstated. Unfortunately, there are certain “patient down” situations that make it difficult to ask a person who they are, much less get access to his or her online medical history.

In the event of an emergency, NFC enables medical professionals to quickly determine who the patient is and help uncover the details of their medical history through the victim’s smart phone – even if it’s turned off. Access to this information is essential and could mean the difference between life and death.

Adoption of NFC capabilities in some regions is only beginning to gain traction – and perhaps the use cases that are easiest to imagine are in early adopter or consumer settings. Amid all the hype of NFC’s ability to turn your smart phone into a wallet, it’s important to consider the broader impact that NFC can have on our lifestyle, safety and security.