Just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you
Last summer I got a new passport in preparation for my trip to Jamaica. Embedded in that new passport was an RFID chip containing an unspecified amount of data about me and my passport. I’m not a total paranoid freak but I’d read a bit about RFID and how easy it is for unauthorized people to read their contents. So, I’d purchased a passport jacket that contains mesh that will prevent just such a thing from happening. A few folks I know had looked at me with that “you’re a little off, aren’t you?” look when I explained the heavy-duty envelope for my passport.
Well, not the US State Department is recommending that folks purchase such a jacket since a recent report has pointed out how easily they are read. Don’t worry though. According to the State Department “hackers won’t find any practical use for data skimmed from RFID chips” but who am I to trust them now?
Of course, you could always disable the chip but that wouldn’t exactly be legal.
Michael Sauers is the Director of Logan Library in Logan, UT. Prior to this he was one of the founding staff and Technology Manager for Do Space in Omaha, NE. After earning his MLS in 1995 from the University at Albany's School of Information Science and Policy Michael spent his first 20 years as a librarian training other librarians in technology along with time as a public library trustee, a bookstore manager for a library friends group, a reference librarian, a technology consultant, and a bookseller. He has written dozens of articles for various journals and magazines and has published 14 books ranging from library technology, blogging, Web design, and an index to a popular horror magazine. In his spare time, he blogs at TravelinLibrarian.info, runs The Collector's Guide to Dean Koontz website at CollectingKoontz.com, takes many, many photos, and typically reads more than 100 books a year.
Unless otherwise stated, all opinions are my own and are not to be considered those of the City of Logan, UT.
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