Chips in official IDs raise privacy fears

[Kadie]

Chips in official IDs raise privacy fears

By TODD LEWAN, AP National Writer Todd Lewan, Ap National Writer – 1 hr 4 mins ago

Climbing into his Volvo, outfitted with a Matrics antenna and a Motorola reader he'd bought on eBay for $190, Chris Paget cruised the streets of San Francisco with this objective: To read the identity cards of strangers, wirelessly, without ever leaving his car.

It took him 20 minutes to strike hacker's gold.

Zipping past Fisherman's Wharf, his scanner detected, then downloaded to his laptop, the unique serial numbers of two pedestrians' electronic U.S. passport cards embedded with radio frequency identification, or RFID, tags. Within an hour, he'd "skimmed" the identifiers of four more of the new, microchipped PASS cards from a distance of 20 feet.

Embedding identity documents — passports, drivers licenses, and the like — with RFID chips is a no-brainer to government officials. Increasingly, they are promoting it as a 21st century application of technology that will help speed border crossings, safeguard credentials against counterfeiters, and keep terrorists from sneaking into the country.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090711/ap_on_bi_ge/us_chipping_america_iv_1




In this April 10, 2009. photo, Chris Paget, a self-described 'ethical' hacker,' sits with his scanning equipment along the Embarcadero in San Francisco seeking information from radio frequency identification, or RFID, chips as people pass by him. In the background is the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

[kirby]

1. Sadly...

The solution will be for the Government to label the guy as a 'terrorist' hacker rather than fixing the lack of security in the wireless products being required of people in their ID's.

Good article, by the way...

[spin]

2. K&R (n/t)

[Hugin]

3. Off to the Greatest with ya!

For now... then maybe again, later... and off... But, It'll be back GAWD willing... for awhile. (etc.)

[jberryhill]

4. Conductive Plastic Sheeting Comes In Bags And Envelopes....

http://www.packagingknowledge.com/Anti_Static_Bags.asp

[Hugin]

5. I have a couple of those for various cards I have with chips in them...

Good idea.

Thanks for posting.

[liberal N proud]

6. Thanks for the tip.

[jberryhill]

7. That's why RFID stuff is shipped in them....

If you bought an RFID highway toll device, just use the bag it came in.

They come shipped that way because, duh, they are delivered by trucks... on highways.

[Kadie]

9. Thanks for the info.

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Or just use foil ...

:tinfoilhat:

[lindisfarne]

8. Someone posted a video on here about 2 weeks ago showing how to disable the chips in bank cards &

credit cards. It is illegal to deliberately do this with your passport (hammer marks on it would be a dead giveaway) but I've also seen a video discussing how frequent bending (such as that done when you carry your passport in a back pocket) can end up breaking the chip. But you may end up spending more time clearing when you enter the US. There are sleeves being sold, but who knows how reliable they are?

More on where you can find RFID chips in every day life:
http://www.thegeekweekly.com/feature/rfid/index.html

[jberryhill]

11. There are sleeves being sold, but who knows how reliable they are?

The people that ship RFID devices by truck, post, and courier know exactly how reliable they are.

Manufacturers of conductive sheeting for this purpose are not "in on the conspiracy".

The electronic industry would figure that out pretty quick.

[Joanne98]

13. I posted that video. Here it is..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxX4FCJvjek&feature=related

[Joanne98]

12. They're in credit cards too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krYDCzATpq8

[Kadie]

14. Just went through my wallet.

Sure enough.. I had one. I won't be carrying it anymore (was planning on canceling that account anyway).

Thanks for the info.

:hi: