D3.6: Study on ID Documents

Title: SECURITY AND PRIVACY ASPECTS

Introduction

To describe threats that have to be taken into account when discussing security and privacy of ID documents a short and non-comprehensive overview on threats already being discussed in academic and non-academic communities is given. Basing on that overview in this chapter security and privacy aspects of four basic technologies used in ID documents are presented and discussed. This includes: 

• Biometrics 

• RFID 

• Chip card technology 

• Electronic signatures and PKI 

Back-office systems are not part of this chapter, as an analysis of security and privacy issues of these systems clearly would exceed the scope of the FIDIS Network of Excellence. 

Biometrics and RFID are technologies that have not been used in ID documents until recent times. In these cases the legal requirements for privacy and security are described and analysed in addition to a technical view. The reason is that the introduction of these technologies for the use in ID documents in Europe is politically very much driven by specific European Regulations and related documents. This chapter concludes with a summary and gives recommendations which users, policy makers and technicians should take into account when using current or developing future ID documents.