Biometric passport chips can be cloned in an hour, researcher warns

Biometric passport chips can be cloned in an hour, researcher warns

www.guardian.co.uk

New microchipped passports designed to protect against identity theft by terrorists and criminals can easily be faked, it was claimed today.

Tests showed that personal information could be cloned and manipulated within an hour before being inserted into new chips, the Times reported.

The paper said it had exposed "security flaws" in the passport system by asking a researcher to clone the chips on two British passports and implant digital images of Osama bin Laden and a suicide bomber. The altered chips were then passed as genuine by reader software used by the UN agency that sets the standards for such e-passports.

(visit the link for the full news article)

So, this new technology that was meant to be so, so secure is actually open to abuse. No-one can seriously tell me that the government didn't see this coming. No technology is ever going to be 100% safe...

As was said at the time - this was not a good idea and is more about a Big Brother state than security.

It will open the gates to allow terrorists and the like an easier ride around europe, safe in the knowledge that their 'fake' passports are even more secure now.

And they want to microchip people? Yeah right! So someone works out how to remotely alter the detail on your chip? Imagine what could happen then.

Useless system. Terrifying news.

Going to walk the dog to calm down and get my thoughts together.

Peace,

MGGG

www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 6-8-2008 by machinegun_go_go]

[edit on 6-8-2008 by machinegun_go_go]

A further thought on this.

It only cost him £50 and and some software that he had developed. That is very accessible to people and does not sound like it would be too complicated to do.

I've just had to get one of these biometric passports when I renewed mine and wasn't happy because it makes me feel one step closer towards being totally controlled by the state. Hopefully the Government will now not just sit on their laurels thinking 'yeah, these new passports can't be faked' and continue to carry out stringent security checks at immigration points.

Originally posted by machinegun_go_go
So, this new technology that was meant to be so, so secure is actually open to abuse. No-one can seriously tell me that the government didn't see this coming. No technology is ever going to be 100% safe...

the obvious conclusion is that security (of the citizen) was never the goal of its implementation, isn't it?

The Bank I work for 'The Bank of England' actually employs someone to try and forge their banknotes, why can't the Government do the same with any new technology?

The point is that it wasn't the government who discovered this...it was a newpaper. As far as I am aware the government were claiming these were tamperproof passports - which it turns out they aren't.

With respect to banknotes, I think that's a different ballgame altogether as banknotes can't (well, generally) get you past an immigration official.

Another reason why we DON'T need biometrics.

These people won't stop until they have an RFID chip up all our asses...

Sheesh, you spend billions on developing and implementing this system who's true purpose can't be any clearer; mass surveillance of the people.

And then to top it all off, it's a friggin' flop. People can steal your identity.

Placing so much trust in a single document is only going to make identity theft easier not harder, because only a passport needs to be targeted.

reply to post by The Godfather of Conspira


I quite agree with you there in terms of RFID chips.

Considering how paranoid a lot of us are here, I'm very surprised that more people aren't seeing how worrying this is.

Have not managed to catch any idiotbox news today coz I've had more important things to do - like pick my toenails - so I wonder if it's made any of the MSM programmes. If it hasn't my spin alarm will start going off like crazy and I will make it my mission to ensure that the sheeple know about this. Whether or not they care or understand the implications of it is a different matter altogether though, ain't it?

Thanks for your input so far guys.

Peace,

MGGG