Q. It is my understanding that the new passports that will be issued to Canadians next year will have a chip in them that will contain significant personal information. Won’t this new document be open to a loss of personal privacy and fraud as hackers find out how to access the information from stolen or lost passports?
A. Chip technology in passports is the way of the future.
Canada, when they are introduced, not next year but in 2012, will be the ninth country to be issuing them in this format.
Countries like China, Britain, Japan, and France to name a few are already far along the way in making these information filled documents standard.
The ePassports, as they are called, will contain a ‘proximity contactless chip’.
There are a number of elements that will be built into our new passports to enhance security.
Firstly, the information can only be identified if it is passed through a reader within a specific distance, and after a machine-readable zone is identified on the second page of the passport.
While some countries have developed their passports to contain biometric information such as fingerprints and even iris scans, Canada will not be following that path.
Ours will hold a biometric photo of the person to whom the passport was issued, along with the passport holder’s name, and gender, as well as the date and place of birth.
The report I read suggested that the new passports may be valid for up to ten years.
There is little doubt that with the additional costs for this technology and the extra years of validity the cost for processing is likely to go well beyond the current $87 for the five-year passport.
Officials also point out that your concern about hackers has been considerably lessened as a result of increased security measures.
Nevertheless, it seems as the good guys make progress, the bad guys find ways of catching up over time.
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Ron Pradinuk is President of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www.journeystravelgear.com or read Ron’s travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca