October 30, 2005
RFID-enabled passports
The new rules that will enable the use of RFID-equipped electronic passports have raised concerns regarding the privacy of individuals. According to the State Department, the passport program will be trialed on government officials with official or diplomatic passports and will be implemented in October 2006 for all US citizens.
The electronic passports will improve security at the borders and facilitate quick identification thereby making international travel more secure. To ensure data security, the RFID tag can be read only with its cover open and that too by a special reader that is no more that four inches away. The passports use a Basic Access Control technology for managing the access to the chip. The front cover has a special anti-skimming material incorporated onto it to ward off attempts at reading it illegally. Also, each RFID chip is provided with a distinctive identification number. The chips cannot be used to track individuals. They will contain information such as name, nationality, sex, etc. The chips will not contain information such as Social Security Numbers and residence addresses that can be used to compromise privacy. A secure digital signature is included in the chips and its objective is to prevent alteration and removal of digital data.
The ICAO has set standards so that passports from countries all over the world are interoperable. Specifications include a minimum storage capacity of 32 KB for the electronic passports; however, US passports will have twice as much as storage capacity to accommodate biometric information obtained from fingerprints and iris scans in future. The passports will be printed by private companies; the existing passports will be replaced as they are renewed. Of the 57 million passports in circulation, around 8 million are renewed annually. The passports will cost $ 97, with $ 55, $ 12, and $ 30 being the application fees, security surcharge, and processing fee, respectively.
--
Did you enjoy this post?
