Identity Cards
Home Department
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has conducted (a) research studies and (b) tests on the prevention of data leakage of contactless technology via skimming and eavesdropping in relation to the identity card scheme.
Andy Burnham (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Leigh, Labour)
The identity card scheme will secure information on the identity card through a number of methods, including the use of anti-skimming technology. The identity cards programme has reviewed technical methodologies for anti-skimming measures for contactless cards which are compliant with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommendations for machine-readable travel documents. It is also working with the Communications Electronics Security Group (CESG) as part of setting requirements for card and chip design. Ultimately, before the identity card can be launched, any card used by the scheme will undergo a full security accreditation to ensure that it is capable of protecting sensitive data to the appropriate level.