Hackers clone e-passports
 

I always thought these RFID chips were just a bit too gimmicky.

http://www.wired.com/news/technology...l?tw=rss.index

A German computer security consultant has shown that he can clone the electronic passports that the United States and other countries are beginning to distribute this year.

"The whole passport design is totally brain damaged," Grunwald says. "From my point of view all of these RFID passports are a huge waste of money. They're not increasing security at all."

I don't know about the technology behind the RFIDs embedded in passports - but our company frequently uses passive RFID tags and they are incredibly simple to program and read.

Is the RFID technology in passports the same as generic passive RFID tags?

Yes.

Yep, and due to concerns about sharing tough encryption with foreign countries, the data is stored unencrypted to boot. :eek:

Right. And State/DHS is pressing forward anyway because they dismiss the thought that there could be "enthusists" sitting around an airport with RFID readers. Nope, couldn't happen, sheeple aren't that smart.
:D ^

I wonder if you can break the RFID chip on your passport. Hopefully I won't have to deal with this for another 9 years though.

LOL. Tax dollars at work.

Don't know if it actually works

But there was discussion earlier about using a microwave...

That will work just fine.

Just make sure there's no record such to substantiate that it was, beyond a reasonable doubt, deliberate damage of US government property. Wouldn't want more people subject to the likes of Gitmo and "secret" tribunals for engaging in "terrorist-related activities". :eek:

If you 'broke' or otherwise incapacitated the tag, though, wouldn't it invalidate the passport?

"I'm sorry, sir, we can't verify the ID tag in your passport...you can't leave / return to the country until you get it repaired."

People wash their passports by mistake all the time. ;)

Right, I understand that, but does that ruin the code that is scanned now? It is under the lamination.

I don't really care for the idea of an RFID tag either. The only useful thing I think could be incorporated onto a passport is a readable computer chip that a passenger could choose to upload info on themselves (optionally), such as medical records or allergies information, or emergency contact data. All in the event they were incapacitated and needed immediate help.

It may make the passport unscannable, requiring the data be read by hand, but that does not make the passport invalid.