RFID Passports. Awesome.
Not really. Full story here. These will be the standard passport starting in August. I knew they were on the horizon, I just didn’t realize they were so close.
I think wrapping your new passport in aluminum foil would be an ok precaution against identity theft? Midas would probably know better than me.
Anyway, get ready.
last i heard the state dept was actually distributing tin foil passport holders with the passports in order to “address” the privacy concerns of, like, everyone who knows how rfid technology works. which to me feels like we’ve sort of jumped the shark, but i dunno, whatever. free tin foil.
i don’t know if that is in the plan still. this is one of those things that is just so absurdly stupid and unnecessary that it is hard to imagine that its origin is out of anything but ignorance on the part of the people in the state dept. although after the amount of lobbying done to them by privacy groups, that might have to be amended to “willful ignorance.”
here is some info on rfids in government id, this time focusing on a measure pending to stick them into CA driver’s licences, but with some relevant info for this: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/RFID/sb768_myths_facts.php
aaaand: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/RFID/
— midas | @
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rfid#Passports
it goes on to talk about the security measures taken in response to that demo, which include an already cracked encryption algorithm, and “shielding,” which is basically the tin foil sleeve mentioned above.
also apparently VA is considering putting these into driver’s licences. sweet!
— midas | @
Just a heads up…
Wrapping RFIDs in aluminum can lower the effective transmission range - but it will not completely block readers.
There are a number of different “powers” of RFIDs on the market - each with their own effective ranges.
13 MHz tags can be read about 10 inches away while those closer to the 1000 MHz range can be read up to 10+ feet away (allowing readers to be embedded in walls and doorways and scan remotely).
— Tripp Fenderson | @
You may also be interested in reading this:
RFID is not secure
— Tripp Fenderson | @
with foil carrying cases, it could be just as well… good heads up guys.
— Coulie | @
I had heard rumor of this last year, and found out that passports issued from 2006 on would have RFID. This is why my roommate and I got our passports at the end of the year last year.
— RVAkid | @
I think even a tin foil hat won’t protect you from identity theft these days.
— RMSzero | @
the totally silly part about it is that the only reason they are putting these things in is so when they scan your passport, instead of running it *thru* the little card swiper thing like they do now (and we all know how tedious and timeconsuming that is), they can just wave the passport *over* the card swiper. think about how much time that will save!
— midas | @
Why bother having photos in them? No one will ever look at them anymore. So at this point is it safe to assume that if I steal John Brown’s passport I don’t even have to change the photo? Talk about a security risk. At least with the current “swipe” method you have to open the passport book. I mean, it’s just the nature of man that we’re not gonna do any more work than we have to. My vote, the RFID passports makes you less secure in more ways than we’ve already considered.
— RVAkid | @
I plan to live my life in a lead box. Lined with kryptonite. That’ll keep me safe.
— RMSzero | @
so what driving makes you less secure than walking
— Coulie | @
different type of security.
— RVAkid | @
it’s all risk-reward.
— Coulie | @
it’s not a federally mandated requirement to drive to the grocery store.
it is a federally mandated requirement to broadcast your personal information to everyone in the airport terminal.
— midas | @
i’m not going to bother. but interesting — all the public comments i read on the state dept. website were near unanimously against rfid… more, it sounds as if terrorists have us running scared. afraid to be american outside america, almost. the make-up was heavily anti-war… but i’m interested in how this plays out when it makes the public so uneasy.
— Coulie | @
what? i have no idea what you just said.
— midas | @
clarification :
*i’m not going to bother arguing with you on your last point. it is a bit beside mine, but is well enough taken. but i will now go back and say that your argument about the “only reason” they are inplementing RFID chips is simply wrong in its claim.
*a seperate issue that i find interesting: the state department, generously, listens to feedback from citizens and posts their comments on their website for others to read. they did so on this subject. i read some of these comments. they were nearly unanimous against the new e-passports, and much of their reasoning has to do with terrorists targeting americans. there were statements to the effect that americans would have targets on their backs, etc. many of the comments also noted the gov’ts invasion of privacy, the illegal wars, and anti-american sentiment. it seemed as if many americans were more afraid of being a known american than having their identitity stolen. no matter the reason for opposition, i am interested to see how this issue will be resolved when it is federally mandated but makes the public so uneasy.
i hope this helps.
— Coulie | @
Clarification appriciated.
I mean how much do you love America? Enough to be bad ass American abroad? Or should you be scared of WHO YOU ARE?!?! I remember someone telling me stories of claiming to be Canadian while traveling in Asia to avoid trouble. It is an interesting question to be sure.
It would be nice to travel as an intelligent, polite, informed (ie. any American not from Texas (I kid!)) America to dispell those nasty rumors.
— MaxPower | @
thanks, i could not decipher the 1st post. :)
i mean me personally i see the issue like this:
benefits:
-marginally quicker customs check
disadvantages:
-facilitates identity theft
-esoteric but realistic terrorist threats
-esoteric but realistic criminal threats
-ridiculous amount of money spent to make the change (it’s the government after all)
i just see no substantial benefit besides blind techno-worship (”more technology is better technology”), which as someone who works in technology is something i HATE. it’s the same mindset that has counties buying brand new ibooks for every student so they can…. what? have new ibooks. wasting money, wasting time, and 3 years later you look back and you have no benefits.
1) add shiny new technology
2) ???
3) profit!
also, as someone who travels abroad fairly often, ive never tried to hide the fact that i am an american (although i usually call myself a virginian first to people). but the 1st thing the state dept will tell you is dont advertise that fact, because like it or not, it does make you a target, mainly to criminals, and depending on where you go, to The Terrorists also. there’s nothing anti-war or anti-america in that, just like there’s nothing anti-war or anti-america in being for metal detectors in airports. it’s just common sense.
but the main issue for me is the identiy theft one. i mean is there a pro-identity theft camp out there somewhere? why not avoid taking unecessary steps when it has been *proven* that they are potentially dangerous? if it had some tangible benefit, i could see it, but it just seems so silly to me.
ps: germans are the new rude americans. seriously.
— midas | @
respect. being virginian rocks at least as hard as being american. i’m dating a girl from france and i was more proud to show her virginia locations than nc or ny. that could be because her name is virginia, but i doubt it.
no doubt though that this RFID trades one form of security for another, unproven form.
— Coulie | @