RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is an item with a silicon chip and an antenna. It can be scanned wirelessly by mobile or other stationary readers. RFIP systems are used in many places that require identification and widely used in cell phone technology. For this reason, the US government has decided to put the RFID technology into the new green card. The new green card with RFID can add more features and can improve efficiency. For instance, with the new green card, a CBP officer can read a person’s card while he/she is standing in the line at the airport. Therefore, the people in the airport can go through the entry process faster. However, at the same time, this brings up a security issue. It is possible that anyone with a supplicated reader can retrieve one’s information (IR, 1).
<The new green card that comes with the warning note.>
The bad news is that if USCIS does not design the new green card carefully, anyone can steal someone’s private information. According to the article, “[t]hey must have worked with LaserCard (the manufacturer) to make sure that any embedded data isn’t easily accessible by an unauthorized source” (IR,2). USCIS recommends that people who carry their green cards daily use the special envelope or sleeve that protects their green card from external readers. According to Professor NiKitin, who is a current principle engineer at Honeywell, the best way to protect one’s information is by keeping “it in a foil pouch.” That will block anyone who tries to read other people’s information wirelessly (NiKitin). The technology of RFID makes our life more efficient and comfortable. However, we still need to think about how to improve security and deal with some privacy concerns.
Source:
- IR. (2010, June 5). New Green Card, RFID, and Security Concerns. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from http://immigrationroad.com/blog/new-green-card-rfid-security-concerns/
2. Nikitin, Robbins, personal communication, February 22, 2017.
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