Showing posts with label Identification. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Identification. Show all posts
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Canada's No-Fly list could be linked to biometrics
Canada new “no-fly” list, to be known as “Passenger Protect”, takes effect on June 18th and according to an Ottawa Citizen report, the federal transport minister isn’t ruling out linking the names to biometric data in the long term. The Canadian no-fly list will have hundreds of names, rather than the tens of thousands on the U.S. list. Names will be added to the list based on information supplied by CSIS and the RCMP.In an earlier post, I wrote about the risks associated with biometrics and DNA-enabled travel documents, data security and the potential impact on individual privacy. The first steps toward collecting biometric data are already underway in both the U.S. and Canada:
Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart has spoken out against the no-fly list, along with other privacy advocates such as Pippa Lawson, director of CIPPIC. Citizens could be the subject of mistaken identity and personal information collected by governments could make citizens vulnerable when traveling abroad or if their information is stolen or abused. The potential for abuse was highlighted at the Air India inquiry, where a Transport Minister acknowledged that the no-fly list could be shared with foreign governments.The United States already scans the fingerprints of foreign visitors entering the country and stores the information in a database. Visitors from Canada and some countries are excluded from the program.
Meanwhile, Transport Canada has bulked up security at airports by issuing biometric ID cards to staff who work in "restricted areas."
While airlines could be fined up to $25,000 if they disclose personal information about individuals on the list, there appear to be little safeguards provided to prevent foreign governments from using or abusing this information. Passengers who feel they have been mistakenly placed on the no-fly list can appeal to the Office of Reconsideration, but are not allowed to know why their name was originally placed on the list.
Canadians are entitled to strong and rigorous guarantees from their federal government about the uses and limits of the collection and dissemination of personal information. The implications of misuse and abuse are far too serious for anything less.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Biometrics and DNA-enabled passports
About 10 years ago, a large brown envelope arrived in my mailbox from my old alma mater. It contained a request for me to participate in a long-term research study that the university was undertaking on the effects of drinking water from Lake Ontario, which I had been drinking for most of my life. The large brown envelope also contained a much tinier brown envelope into which I was to deposit the clippings of all ten of my toenails. Once I got past the "ew…gross" factor, I began to ponder the implications of sending away little pieces of my DNA that were to go on file for a decades-long study. Despite the assurances from this well-respected university that my toenail clippings would be kept secure and not used for any other purpose, I opted not to participate, as I just did not feel comfortable with the prospect.Fast-forward a decade and it appears that our governments will eventually be forcing us to provide DNA samples, if we ever want to travel outside the country, that is. According to a CanWest News report:
Canadians will inevitably have to carry travel documents with their DNA,
biometrics or other biological identifiers in order to ensure secure border
travel to the United States, according to a new white paper to be revealed to
government officials in Ottawa Monday.
Although some technology, such as DNA-enabled passports or driver's
licences, may be a long way off, terror threats and other looming risks mean
governments must begin to seriously consider how they will introduce those
measures in the future, [said Michael Hawes, executive director of the
Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States of
America.]
The white paper will outline the implications of the U.S.’s Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which earlier this year required Canadians flying into the U.S. to carry a passport and which will require all Canadians driving or walking across the border to have a passport by 2008.
A few toenail clippings in a university researcher’s file cabinet are a minor concern compared to a DNA profile being available in electronic format to my own government, let alone a foreign government. While the purpose is to guarantee that I am who I say I am when traveling in and out of my country, what would happen if the electronic representation of my DNA were stolen? Just ask someone who shares a similar name to someone on the U.S. "no-fly" list how easy it is to prove who they are: how much more difficult and dangerous will it be if your DNA profile is stolen or altered?
It raises the question of ownership of the data and informed consent to citizens about how it will be used. Citizens should have assurances that their DNA profile will not be collected or saved by foreign governments and that the information will not be made available to other government agencies or third parties. Genetic information from DNA and other biometric information can be dangerous not only if it is used to assume someone’s identity, but also if it reveals health or social information that could be used in a negative way against the owner.
The use of biometrics and DNA seems inevitable in an increasingly security-obsessed world. As citizens we need to pay very close attention to these initiatives and the laws in place to protect our identity.
Friday, April 20, 2007
12 Tips to Prevent Identity Theft
Identity theft is becoming an increasing problem, with over 160,000 cases reported in the U.S. in 2002 and over 7,000 that year in Canada. So much of our personal information is available in the cards we carry in our wallets, credit card receipts, bank statements and utility bills that it is easy to be careless and place our finances, personal property, credit history and reputation at risk.Here are some tips from Safe Canada to protect yourself from identity theft:
- Sign all credit cards when you receive them and never lend them to anyone.
- Cancel and destroy credit cards you do not use and keep a list of the ones you use regularly.
- Carry only the identification information and credit cards that you actually need. Do not carry your social insurance card (Canada) or social security card (United States); leave it in a secure place. This applies also to your passport unless you need it for traveling out of country.
- Pay attention to your billing cycles and follow up with your creditors and utility companies if your bills do not arrive on time.
- Carefully check each of your monthly credit card statements. Immediately report lost or
stolen credit cards and any discrepancies in your monthly statements to the issuing credit card company. - Shred or destroy paperwork you no longer need, such as bank machine receipts, receipts from electronic and credit card purchases, utility bills, and any document that contains personal and/or financial information. Shred or destroy pre-approved credit card
applications you do not want before putting them in the trash. - Secure personal information in your home or office so that it is not readily accessible to others, who may have access to the premises.
- Do not give personal information out over the phone, through the mail, or over the
Internet unless you are the one who initiated the contact and know the person or
organization with whom you are dealing. Before you share such information,
ensure that the organization is legitimate by checking its website to see if it
has posted any fraud or scam alert when its name has been used improperly, or by
calling its customer service number listed on your account statement or in the
phone book. - Password-protect your credit card, bank, and phone accounts, but do not keep a written record of your PIN number, social insurance or social security number, or computer passwords where an identity thief can easily find them. Do not carry such information in your purse or wallet.
- Order a copy of your credit report from the major credit reporting agencies at least once every year. Check with the credit bureaus to see whether there is a charge for this service. Make sure your credit report is accurate and includes only those activities that you have authorized.
I would also suggest that you never allow sales staff to put your receipt in the bag; it’s too easy to forget it, toss the bag and your credit card information along with it.
Also, never leave your signed credit card receipt on the table in a restaurant when you leave; always ensure that you hand it directly to your server before leaving the restaurant. Ideally, you should accompany the server when he or she swipes your credit card to ensure they are not “double-swiping”. Embarrassing, yes, as it implies you don’t trust the server, but most good restaurants should appreciate their customers’ concerns.
Identity theft can be a nightmare for the consumer. Start following these tips today to protect your identity.
For more information:
In Canada: Safe Canada
In the U.S.: Federal Trade Commission
In the U.K.: Home Office
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