Although most of the speakers Tuesday supported smart ID cards, several acknowledged the cards could create privacy and security concerns if implemented improperly, said Nancy Libin, staff counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology, a privacy advocacy group. Most people, if given a choice of one key that would open their house, open their car, start their car, and open several other locks, would likely choose to carry multiple keys because of the fear of losing the one multi-use key, Libin said.
Likewise, a smart card that includes a national ID, multiple credit card accounts, and other data could cause many problems if it was lost, she said.
Libin also noted that biometric scans that some people want linked to smart cards are not foolproof. For example, fingerprints could be digitally copied and duplicated, she said.
"Unlike passwords, biometrics aren't secret, and they cannot be easily modified," she added. "Once that biometric has been ... compromised, it's done. It cannot be reissued, it's finished."(PC World)
Identity theft, other concerns footnotes at Smart ID conference
Unsurprisingly, most of the delegates at a recent "Smart ID" conference were starry-eyed about the security utopia offered by integrated all-purpose biometric identity cards. The few naysayers, financed by non-profit action groups, found it difficult to be heard above the din of industry.
