Identity Theft Protection

Archive for June, 2008

Britains vision of a national identity card for all of Her majesty’s subjects that will carry biometric information could play into the hands of organised crime the UK Government were warned today.

Ross Anderson, a professor of security engineering at Cambridge University explained that unlike a chip and pin card, if your identity has been compromised via a biometric card or data base you cannot simply replace the information.

Good point, and neither can you go and get a new set of finger prints or a new pair of eyes to set up a new account down at the biometric office!

The biometric card has been in the planning for some time as is due to roll out next year on a voluntary basis before the next Government decides if they are to be compulsary.

When the biometric identity card was first mooted by then Prime Minister Tony Blair, the British people were told it was the first step towards a cash free society but as Ross Anderson has pointed out to a Commons Home Affairs committee:

“Once you start using biometrics on a very wide scale, for all sorts of everyday transactions, organised crime will also have your biometrics.”

‘You do not know which shops are owned by the Mafia but if you end up having to put your fingerprint on the glass every time that you buy a can of Coke, sooner or later the Mafia will have the biometrics of millions of people.”

David Cameron the leader of the opposition has already stated he will scrap the biometric identity card should he become the next Prime Mnister.

Meanwhile a Home Office spokeswoman has tried to calm any growing worries by saying:

‘Biometric information will be encrypted from the moment a person is enrolled right through to the National Identity Register.”

Well that should keep the UK public sleeping better at night then!

Source: Mail On Sunday (UK newspaper with strong ties to the oppostition party)