The production and dissemination of "national" id cards is both troubling and worrying. Our federal government has shown time and time again that it is incapable of securing its computer systems from within (see Congressmen Horn's November 2001 security reviews - 16 of 24 agencies failed).

Why then should we presume that any kind of national information database (which would be necessary to allow uploads of daily information) would be secure? "Spoofing" an identity is only one of the many problems inherent in the system. Accessing the database and creating a new entry would duplicate the current problems with obtaining multiple drivers licenses.

The first line of defense in the cases of all the insecure agencies must be including the private sector in their security initiatives. Once they have reached some adequate level of security, only then should we consider implementing as vast a system as a national id card would entail.

[ reply ]

Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/articles/371/11957#11957