[IP] more on U.S. passports to receive RFID implants starting in October 2006 [priv]

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Edward Hasbrouck <edward@hasbrouck.org>
Date: October 28, 2005 11:07:28 AM EDT
To: dave@farber.net
Subject: Re: [IP] more on U.S. passports to receive RFID implants  
starting in October 2006 [priv]


> From: "Lin, Herb" <HLin@nas.edu>
>
> *Front* cover?  Does that mean that if I hold the passport the wrong
> way, the skimmer will have a free ride?

FWIW:

(1) The sample RFID passports that Frank Moss passed around at CFP,  
which
looked like <http://travel.state.gov/passport/eppt/eppt_2501.html>, had
the RFID chip (which was barely detectable by feel) in the *back* cover.
The visible data page was/is, as with current passports, in the *front*
cover.  This is not compliant with the ICAO specifications, which
recommend having the chip in the same page as the visible data, to  
make it
more difficult to separate them.  I can only guess that it was hard to
laminate the visible data without damaging the chip, if it was in the  
same
page.  But it's interesting in light of the importance supposedly being
placed on compliance with ICAO standards.

(2) Moss had 2 sample RFID passports, 1 with and 1 without the  
shielding.
He cliamed it was a layer in the entire outer cover (front and back),  
but
it wasn't detectable by feel.

I have more threat scenarios for the latest flavor of RFID passport at:

http://hasbrouck.org/blog/archives/000869.html


----------------
Edward Hasbrouck
<edward@hasbrouck.org>
<http://hasbrouck.org>
+1-415-824-0214




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