The present invention relates to the field of product authentication and anti-counterfeiting techniques, and more specifically, to techniques employing RFID tags and encryption technologies. Embodiments of the present invention illustrate the use of RFID tags having encrypted information stored therein which upon decryption by a down-stream entity or an end user can help determine the authenticity of a product. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed herein illustrate various examples supply chains and private key management.