Developing a more robust passport regime is a priority problem for most developed countries. The future, they say, is in biometrics. But until we get there many countries are changing to technology that has been of great benefit to the field of logistics, namely Radio Frequency Identification or RFID. But there are some serious weaknesses to the RFID strategy, as Bruce Schneier explains:
If you have a passport, now is the time to renew it — even if it’s not set to expire anytime soon. If you don’t have a passport and think you might need one, now is the time to get it. In many countries, including the United States, passports will soon be equipped with RFID chips. And you don’t want one of these chips in your passport.
Via Daring Fireball.
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COMMENTS / 4 COMMENTS
Draconian Observations added these pithy words on 24 Oct 06 at 4:10 pmGood stuff! Wired ran a good piece on RFID (in)security back in May, too. And then of course, there was my March post on DoD (second order) transformation through the lens of RFID tags.
subadei added these pithy words on 24 Oct 06 at 11:34 pmCould someone point me in the direction of the Ministry of Love? Ah, a right turn after Winston ave? Thanks.
Saru added these pithy words on 25 Oct 06 at 3:21 pmI was going to add the link to that Wired story but I see Draconain Observations has beaten me to it. Good stuff!
Mutantfrog added these pithy words on 26 Oct 06 at 5:10 amMost countries are taking the very basic precaution of putting an RF blocking mesh in the passport cover, so it can only be read remotely when opend (as if you only open your passport in secure locations!) but I have heard that Ireland has already issued RFID passports without even this most elementary of security measures. And I thought that the New Ireland was supposed to be the IT center of Europe.
