RSSInfineon Snags RFID Passport Contract
By the Betanews Staff | Published August 21, 2006, 12:00 PM
The U.S. Government has awarded German-based chipmaker Infineon with a contract to provide a portion of the millions of RFID chips that will make their way into next-generation passports, the company said Monday. Financial terms and the size of the contract were not disclosed. The government expects to begin distributing the first RFID-enabled passports later this year, with 15 million slated to ship during the first year alone.
The RFID chips in the documents would hold information such as the name, date of birth, issue date and picture of the holder. Supporters of the technology, already in use in portions of Europe, say the chips and security technologies make the documents harder to copy. However, opponents disagree, saying hackers can still find a way around the security features and forge passports.
German??!!!
I understand that these chips are already in use in some areas of Europe and that this company may have producs already created for this utility, however, what does this say about our country when our own government does not invest in our technology.
Keep government contracts in the United States! Stop giving our tax dollars away to other countries and reinvest in our own.
Think of all of the passports that are applied for each year. Now think of all of that revenue going to Germany. Pathetic!!!
Score: 0
|You will never stop them from making fakes, where there's a will there's a way. It's moot point to say it won't prevent all forgeries. In this game you can only up the antey otherwise joe average would be making money with his inkjet and be a citizen in 40 countries.
Score: 0
|You should read up on digital signatures. There is no feasible way to modify a digitally signed document (or just "data") without the secret key. Un-feasible ways exist in theory only: hire the 50,000 smartest mathematicians and within a year come up with a mathematical breakthrough; bribe simultaneously all the heads of CIA, NSA, and the president himself; steal the secret key. If you could do EITHER of those, you would be able to know the location of every secret weapon the US has and thus conquer its land within 24 hours. Not gonna happen.
For some things even the strongest will won't suffice.
Score: 0
|for now, if we ever get a personal quantum computer with super advanced ai, it may change. the game keeps going.
Score: 0
|One more purely theoretical and speculative vulnerability. For the lifespan of this RFID solution (10-15 years), it will be IMPOSSIBLE to alter data on passports (if digital signatures are employed).
Score: 0
|If the info is signed with a government key (which will change daily, or every X passports made), then it will be impossible to forge a passport in the future... You will only be able to duplicate it - never alter it.
Score: 0
|ah, were screwed. Someone could hack your passport and label you as a terrorist and no one would ever know except the feds dragging your butt off to jail. So beware PC_Tool...you may be their target!
Score: 0
|The greater problem, and a more likely scenario, given that there is a rational motive to do so, would be for hackers to alter a passport so that a terrorist does *not* appear to be one.
Score: 0
|However, opponents disagree, saying hackers can still find a way around the security features and forge passports.
Not only that, but it's a one-way ticket to Hell, right?
This *is* "the Mark", isn't it? ;)
*grins*
Score: 0
|