RFID chips make Identity Fraud Easier

A supposedly ultra-secure British biometric passport has been hacked according to the Guardian. Guardian journalist Steve Boggan and his computer expert friend Adam Laurie managed to copy biometric data from the chips of three British passports to a computer using no more than an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader and homemade decryption software.

The news is perhaps not earth-shattering, as German security consultant Lukas Grunwald proved as early as August this year that it could be done. Nor were the passport “hackers” able to do much with the biometric data, as no one has yet cracked how to alter the data, such as changing the photo. But you can see the potential for identity fraudsters, particularly if the biometric data is to include fingerprint scans in the future, which I believe is the case for most EU passports by 28 June 2009.

I don’t see RFID technology in itself as a bad thing, but currently any planned use of RFID chips that I have heard of seems to facilitate the very thing they are supposed to prevent.

Politicians world-wide have been lulled into a false sense of security regarding RFID. We are led to believe that RFID magically protects us from all evil. Under this magic RFID umbrella personal data that previously was stored in many different places is now being centralized.

My philosophy, however, is that if it can be built, it can be broken. Once broken, sinister minds will have full access to personal data that they previously would have had to hack more than one database to find. I can only see an increase in identity-fraud and other crimes with the current use of RFID chips and cannot possibly see how they can prevent terrorism?

So why are politicians world-wide being so naive about RFID technology. Surely they are not all planning world domination? RFID chips will not prevent identity fraud, in fact it will facilitate it. They will not prevent terrorism or in anyway make a terrorist attack more difficult. So someone please tell me, why are RFID chips really being introduced? This really is beyond me.

Technorati Tags: RFID chips, biometric passport, safety, identity fraud

3 Responses to “RFID chips make Identity Fraud Easier”

1. Robert Studer says:

   17 November, 2006 at 17:58

   Hi:

   These RFID devices are being introduced for only one reason, and that is to track and tag every living thing on earth. It is for the ultimate controll of everyone, for taxation etc.

   Robert Studer
   Canada

   Reply
2. Anni Poulsen says:

   17 November, 2006 at 19:36

   Hi Robert,
   So they are all planning world domination then.
   I think, you might be on to something.
   Anni

   Reply
3. GAO Tek says:

   17 November, 2006 at 20:46

   Following criticism from computer security professionals and civil libertarians about the privacy risks posed by new RFID passports the government plans to begin issuing, a State Department official said his office is reconsidering a privacy solution it rejected earlier that would help protect passport holders’ data.

   Reply