Special alloy sleeves urged to block hackers?

[Q3JR4]

To protect against skimming and eavesdropping attacks, federal and state officials recommend that Americans keep their e-passports tightly shut and store their RFID-tagged passport cards and enhanced driver's licenses in "radio-opaque" sleeves.

That's because experiments have shown that the e-passport begins transmitting some data when opened even a half inch, and chipped passport cards and EDLs can be read from varying distances depending on reader techonology.

The cover of the e-passport booklet contains a metallic sheathing that can diminish the distances radio waves travel, presumably hindering unwanted interceptions. Alloy envelopes that come with the PASS cards and driver's licenses do the same, the government says.

The State Department asserts that hackers won't find any practical use for data skimmed from RFID chips embedded in the cards, but "if you don't want the cards read, put them in an attenuation sleeve," says John Brennan, a senior policy adviser at the Office of Consular Affairs.

<snip>

More good stuff at the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/11/AR2009071101929_pf.html

When security experts start talking about vulnerabilities, policy makers decided to stick their fingers in their ears, go "lalalalalaIcan'thearyoulalalala," and finally announce that, in fact, there is some cause for concern. What government does best.

I believe that the only information on the passport is a badly encrypted number that can be looked up in a database that contains everything on the passport. Why the state department sees fit to recommend that Americans keep their passports shut or in RFID-blocking holders, though,....

Isn't our government grand?

Q3JR4
Sure I'll ignore science or, you know, common sense if you give me enough money to get reelected. Also, you citizens over there should be really concerned with security. Pardon me while I answer this here phone call. "What's that you say? RFID, in a passport? You can read the information if you're how close? Oh, it's the same technology used in credit cards? Sounds okay to me, let's go with it."

[aquart]

1. WE TOLD THEM SO.

[Q3JR4]

4. Yep, we did.

Really really wish the politicians would listen a little more to the people who study this sort of thing for a living and less to those who just want to make money or spend other people's money.

Q3JR4.
Dumb fracking idiots and their anti-science stupidity.

[notesdev]

2. Next up

They'll make the radio-opaque sleeves illegal as it interferes with gov't surveillance...

[Q3JR4]

3. ...

:tinfoilhat:

[Stinky The Clown]

5. What happens if one removes the fucking chip?

[Q3JR4]

9. You could also whack it with a hammer or

microwave it. I do believe, however, that that could be considered tampering and may result in a passport that won't be accepted as such in America.

Q3JR4.
Who readily admits that he could be blowing smoke out of various orifices. Is also too tired to do a google search....

[Ian David]

6. Aluminum foil should work.

On the passport, not on your head.


Or use a metal wallet:

[RC]

7. Open , passport can't be read from more than about 18 inches.

Closed, less than an inch or so.
If you try too hard to read them from too far away, you run the risk of burning out the chip. The chips are small and can handle only so much power. A closed passport severely limits the range the chip responds to.
The availability of sleeves just plays on peoples paranoia.

[nebenaube]

8. hmmm

The State Department asserts that hackers won't find any practical use for data skimmed from RFID chips embedded in the cards

Just the data needed to clone the passport eh?

[Q3JR4]

10. Apparently the passport only holds

a half assedly encrypted number.

I get the idea that the database is like a huge file cabinet that contains all the data necessary to replicate a passport, but you have to have a specific number to look that particular file up as well as a computer that gives you access to the database.

Now we have to wonder how secure the computers that hold the data are.

Q3JR4
All this assumes that the government isn't f$%king with us, like they like to do from time to time...