epassports and encryption
e passports - a concept which has been in circles from idea to product back to idea again. The concept consists of a passport with a chip inside, a RFID (radio frequency identification chip), which will hold identifing information on a person, digital image and the usual information held on a passport and a digital signeture. Its aim is to make authorisation and security checks at borders faster and safer? and to fall in line with americas new agendas regarding the nesessery implimentation of epassports for all 27 countries who dont need visas to enter america.
Like I said at the start the concept has been in cycle for some time. The biggest hold back is ironically the unsecure nature of the epassport. Of all 27 countries, experts from all have issued warnings and concerns regarding security.
In a nutshell the problem is that scanners to read such information, can be easily replicated to read the information on the chip, so those willing to abuse such information can do so. This is ontop of the chip itself being easily replicable, and still works, though with the amount of other securitys the passport will have may mean that people won't be able to create phoney epassports. The first threat, the threat to your sensitive information is still big.
The following articles are on such concerns with the e passports. The second regarding cloning however the attitude from the homeoffice is interesting.
LINK (No Encryption for E-Passports).
LINK ( ePassports 'at risk' from cloning).
The epassports will have various security guards but no encryption. It appears that encryption is being left behind in order to get the concept through to final production. The comments A spokesman said from the Home Office: "It is hard to see why anyone would want to access the information on the chip.
"Other than the photograph, which could be obtained easily by other means, they would gain no information that they did not already have - so the whole exercise would be pointless: the only information stored on the ePassport chip is the basic information you can see on the personal details page.
Well they would have your digital photo, your name, address, phone number, contacts (their names, addresses and numbers), your digital signeture. What if finger prints are included in the design and later on other biometric identifiers. We all should know how bad it is for someone to have so much sensitive information, IDENTITY THEFT to start with.
Encrytion could be used to protect this information on the chip. However it would have to be the most secure encryption as it would be a high pofile encryption, asking to be cracked. Even with so much security within the passport to check you are who you say you are and you have the right to cross the border, but I haven't heard anymention of what protects this information.
Like I said at the start the concept has been in cycle for some time. The biggest hold back is ironically the unsecure nature of the epassport. Of all 27 countries, experts from all have issued warnings and concerns regarding security.
In a nutshell the problem is that scanners to read such information, can be easily replicated to read the information on the chip, so those willing to abuse such information can do so. This is ontop of the chip itself being easily replicable, and still works, though with the amount of other securitys the passport will have may mean that people won't be able to create phoney epassports. The first threat, the threat to your sensitive information is still big.
The following articles are on such concerns with the e passports. The second regarding cloning however the attitude from the homeoffice is interesting.
LINK (No Encryption for E-Passports).
LINK ( ePassports 'at risk' from cloning).
The epassports will have various security guards but no encryption. It appears that encryption is being left behind in order to get the concept through to final production. The comments A spokesman said from the Home Office: "It is hard to see why anyone would want to access the information on the chip.
"Other than the photograph, which could be obtained easily by other means, they would gain no information that they did not already have - so the whole exercise would be pointless: the only information stored on the ePassport chip is the basic information you can see on the personal details page.
Well they would have your digital photo, your name, address, phone number, contacts (their names, addresses and numbers), your digital signeture. What if finger prints are included in the design and later on other biometric identifiers. We all should know how bad it is for someone to have so much sensitive information, IDENTITY THEFT to start with.
Encrytion could be used to protect this information on the chip. However it would have to be the most secure encryption as it would be a high pofile encryption, asking to be cracked. Even with so much security within the passport to check you are who you say you are and you have the right to cross the border, but I haven't heard anymention of what protects this information.
posted by katie kaboom at 6:58 PM
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