No Passing Grade For e-Passport

The technology behind e-Passports, the relatively recent identity document upgrade to include biometrics and other personal information, may not be safe from terrorists, counterfeiters and other malicious attacks. In fact, data security has been a key concern about e-Passports for several years.

The Center for Public Integrity reports that the Government Printing Office, which oversees the production of e-Passports, has been warned by its inspector general that the Thai factory where the documents are produced is subject to threats from poor police protection and political instability. The IG found that GPO lacks plans and procedures to protect these technologies from outside threats.

Workers in Thailand put together the computer chips that go into blank e-Passports. The chips store all the information included on the passport's photo page, as well as a digital photo that can be scanned for facial recognition. The technology was first conceived following the Sept. 11 attacks and began to be rolled out in 2006, according to the article.

The State Department has cautioned that fraud is possible with e-Passports, as fake chips can be inserted in place of real ones. And security experts say that the technology isn't doing much to protect U.S. borders anyway. The center reports that weak manufacturing security and limited use of card readers in airports and other entry points limits e-Passports' utility.

GPO has said that they are doing everything possible to prevent security breaches, and none have been reported so far. The agency also plans to move e-Passport production to the United States this year.