16 April, 2009
category: Digital ID, Government
The United Kingdom is considering adding EMV functionality to its ID cards, according to ZDNet UK. EMV is used in UK payment cards to protect against fraud and some say it can be useful while others say it’s not secure enough.
With chip-and-PIN cardholders could access government and private-sector services online using the PIN to verify their identity. Business too could take advantage of such functionality and have individuals authenticate using a PIN. Using EMV could also cut the cost of the system since it’s already a widespread standard.
But some say PIN is not secure enough. Cambridge University security researcher Richard Clayton said that PIN functionality could open up new avenues for fraudsters. Fraudsters could set up fake government sites in order to phish for PINS, similar to what criminals do with banking Web sites now.
Read the full story here.