Since their inception, ID Cards have been the subject of a proverbial Cold War between the manufacturers and the criminals who seek to circumvent and exploit the technology present within them, for malicious purposes. Although detrimental to the many individuals and corporation who fall victim to ID criminality, these attacks and intrusions are precisely why ID card technology and company system security measures continue to evolve at such impressive rates. According to HID Global, a leading American manufacturer of identification products and services, 85% of all ID cards issued annually in America will be eIDs (electronic IDs), by the year 2015. By the same year, the number of countries issuing electronic ID cards is expected to outnumber those deploying traditional identification methods by 4 to 1. What will the ID cards of the future look like? Read on to learn more…
Multi-Application or ‘Hybrid’ Cards
Until recent times, an ID card has typically served a single purpose, such as Driver’s License verification, the declaration of passport details, authorisation to a special event and so on. Now however, ID cards are seeing an increased migration toward multi-application solutions, as seen in places such as Germany and Italy where these hybrid ID cards provide a range of details from a single card, including access control, proof of identity, healthcare ID, tax ID and more. For enhanced security, all hybrid cards are equipped with a diverse list of advanced ID technologies like RFID, biometric, optically variable devices (holograms) and more.
In addition to upgraded security, greater convenience and rudimentary ID purposes, hybrid cards can also be used to exercise additional functions such as vote casting (an absolute revelation, particular if you’ve ever experienced the arduous and chaotic election days here in Australia), interaction with social security systems, online authentication and more. At present, these multi-purpose eIDs are already in use right across Europe, with the European Union having already devised an eID card standard known as the ‘European Citizen Card (ECC) Framework’, aimed at ensuring universal functionality for all cardholders in all EU member states.
Traditional -vs- Electronic
Despite unprecedented adoption rates for the latest electronic ID cards, according to HID Global, approximately 90% of all IDs are still verified by human beings, rather than scanners, which are only found in a small portion of inspection facilities around the world.
Human Beings – The Ultimate ID Card
How about a range of the ultimate ID cards of the future? Hybrid ID cards are all about attaching a multitude of services to a single card, but if we did away with the cards altogether? At present, biometric scanners that perform facial and fingerprint recognition are already used throughout the world for the purposes of baggage claims at airport terminals, access to commercial facilities, residential premises and more, but it has been proposed that this form of identification could be replaced by an even more advanced, albeit slightly controversial security measure and that is, blood cell recognition. Every human being has unique blood cell patterns and upon entry into a system, identification would involve matching a person’s blood sample with those present within the database. This process is deemed far more reliable than biometric methods.
Controversy and Opposition
While multi-purpose ID cards represent a quantum leap in sophistication and convenience, having a single ID card that contains intimate and irrefutable data on a particular individual is not without its concerns. Privacy is a major source of contention between advocates and opposition. Another fear is breach of security. No matter how advanced a given technology becomes, there’s always the possibility of unauthorised access, either by a deliberate hacking attempt or due to a system ‘bug’ or exploit that compromises an entire database. All data contained within hybrid electronic IDs needs to be stored within such a database and there is great fear that a data breach in a single database would give an intruder access to a person’s entire details, with the magnitude of disclosure dependent on that which is present on the ID card.
In addition to personal details obtained through unlawful practices, there’s significant concern over the fact that the entire data contained on ID cards possessing such valuable private information is also be readily accessible to those who would normally only be privy to a select area of information. For example, in an article published in the The Guardian newspaper, employees of various licensed venues were found to have illegally accessed the names and addresses of female patrons, through their compulsory ID card scans. So what was intended to provide greater security for both patron and venue, actually compromised their personal privacy, potentially putting their lives in danger.
Freedom and Security
As human beings, we demand total efficiency from our ID solutions. On one hand, we desire the convenience of multi-purpose ID cards that can be used to perform a variety of advanced functions that are easily accessible and widely applicable. On the other hand, we also want our devices to possess infallible security measures, protecting us from all possible incidences of fraud and unwanted personal privacy intrusions. Sadly, while the consolidation of multiple services on a single card is practical, it also a presents hidden dangers. Criminals who compromise a database will have access to a greater volume of sensitive information and this same information can also end up in the hands of individuals who, while obtaining the data through legal means, will have an unrestricted passage all data present within the card.
All technology has vulnerabilities. There is no such thing as perfection. Vulnerabilities don’t impede evolution however, they enforce it. There will always be the possibility of data breach and misappropriation of sensitive data, but the future of electronic ID cards holds tremendous promise. Beyond mere identification, electronic ID cards will continue to revolutionise major industries, such as security, transportation, banking, education, retail, health care, government and personal services. Techniques and materials used to encrypt critical data on future ID cards will ensure that replication is extremely difficult. Future capabilities and subsequent vulnerabilities of ID cards will surely invite criticism from some quarters, but these cards will ultimately be to the benefit of society rather than the detriment.
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