On Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:13:10 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 12:59:31 on Mon, 22 Mar
2010, d remarked:

I don't like the idea of complete strangers who have no business doing
so being able to read my passport details?

If it's hotels (or airlines, obviously) they are required to do so by
local laws.

Which bit of "no business doing so" were you having trouble with?

B2003

On 22/03/2010 13:52, Ian F. wrote:
"Recliner" wrote in message
...

Certainly not. I know one French company that always insisted that I
leave my passport in reception in order to be allowed into their Paris
office, but their UK offices had no such requirement. In France,
people routinely carry photo ID, which is not the case in the UK.

Yup, that's certainly the case with two of my French clients. Doesn't
bother me in the slightest - it's their rule.

When at a foreign event with a local bigwig attending, I had a
"We need your British ID cards"
We don't have them, praise be to any available gods
"Ah. Erm, you're not a terrorist are you?"
Nope
"OK. This way."

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

On Mar 24, 10:27*am, wrote:

Which bit of "no business doing so" were you having trouble with?

They clearly *do* have a business doing so according to the laws of
those countries. If you don't like that, don't go there.

Neil

"Neil Williams" wrote in message
...

They clearly *do* have a business doing so according to the laws of
those countries. If you don't like that, don't go there.

He clearly hasn't been anywhere of note if he's not had to give over his
passport details!

Ian

In message , at 09:27:00 on Wed, 24 Mar
2010, d remarked:
I don't like the idea of complete strangers who have no business doing
so being able to read my passport details?

If it's hotels (or airlines, obviously) they are required to do so by
local laws.

Which bit of "no business doing so" were you having trouble with?

Are you using "business" in an unusual sense? They aren't being paid, so
gathering the information is not a profitable business to be in, but if
they didn't follow the law they'd soon be out of business.
--
Roland Perry

On Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:20:48 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:27:00 on Wed, 24 Mar
2010, d remarked:
I don't like the idea of complete strangers who have no business doing
so being able to read my passport details?

If it's hotels (or airlines, obviously) they are required to do so by
local laws.

Which bit of "no business doing so" were you having trouble with?

Are you using "business" in an unusual sense? They aren't being paid, so
gathering the information is not a profitable business to be in, but if
they didn't follow the law they'd soon be out of business.

Oh FFS. If someone is required to look at your passport by law or by their
company rules then fine. I'm talking about hackers or whoever being able
to read or copy passport details at a distance. If the possibility of total
strangers being able to view your details at will doesn't bother you then
photocopy your passport and post the jpeg file on here for us all to look at.

B2003

In message , at 10:21:50 on Fri, 26 Mar
2010, d remarked:
I don't like the idea of complete strangers who have no business doing
so being able to read my passport details?

If it's hotels (or airlines, obviously) they are required to do so by
local laws.

Which bit of "no business doing so" were you having trouble with?

Are you using "business" in an unusual sense? They aren't being paid, so
gathering the information is not a profitable business to be in, but if
they didn't follow the law they'd soon be out of business.

Oh FFS. If someone is required to look at your passport by law or by their
company rules then fine.

OK.

I'm talking about hackers or whoever being able to read or copy
passport details at a distance. If the possibility of total strangers
being able to view your details at will doesn't bother you then
photocopy your passport and post the jpeg file on here for us all to
look at.

Urban myths about hackers lurking in passport control with a megawatt
antennae are of little interest to me.
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:37:38 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
Urban myths about hackers lurking in passport control with a megawatt
antennae are of little interest to me.

To read RFID from a few feet away you're looking at a few watts. Hardly
a challenge for someone with electronics knowledge.

It was an "urban myth" that blackhats had cracked WEP a few years back with
profuse denials from all the vested interests. The encryption on DVDs was
apparently uncrackable too wasn't it? Oyster could never be hacked said
TfL. GSM had military strength encyrption so they said. Until it was
cracked.

History does tend to repeat itself where encryption is concerned doesn't it?

But you go ahead believing what the government and EU tells you about secure
passports if it makes you happy.

B2003

On 26/03/2010 10:51, d wrote:
On Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:37:38 +0000
Roland wrote:
Urban myths about hackers lurking in passport control with a megawatt
antennae are of little interest to me.

To read RFID from a few feet away you're looking at a few watts. Hardly
a challenge for someone with electronics knowledge.

It was an "urban myth" that blackhats had cracked WEP a few years back with
profuse denials from all the vested interests. The encryption on DVDs was
apparently uncrackable too wasn't it? Oyster could never be hacked said
TfL.

Did they say these things, or did they just say it would be difficult?

GSM had military strength encyrption so they said. Until it was
cracked.

Well, Enigma was presumably military strength.

History does tend to repeat itself where encryption is concerned doesn't it?

But you go ahead believing what the government and EU tells you about secure
passports if it makes you happy.

Would there be much point in having massive security on something which
can just be read by anyone with sight and physical access? I'd have
thought physically nicking the passport or bunging a hotel receptionist
a few banknotes would be an easier way of getting data than firing
secret passport-reading rays across airports.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

In message , at 10:51:56 on Fri, 26 Mar
2010, d remarked:
Urban myths about hackers lurking in passport control with a megawatt
antennae are of little interest to me.

To read RFID from a few feet away you're looking at a few watts. Hardly
a challenge for someone with electronics knowledge.

It was an "urban myth" that blackhats had cracked WEP a few years back with
profuse denials from all the vested interests. The encryption on DVDs was
apparently uncrackable too wasn't it? Oyster could never be hacked said
TfL. GSM had military strength encyrption so they said. Until it was
cracked.

History does tend to repeat itself where encryption is concerned doesn't it?

I agree that with sufficient effort and incentive many kinds of
encryption have been cracked. But I'm not sure that the "enthusiast"
community has much incentive to crack passport encryption. And when they
have, all they get is some public information. Meanwhile, the distant
RFID reading is in the realm of laws of physics, rather than
mathematics, and we know what Scotty says about those.
--
Roland Perry