[Pc_Support] Identity Theft to be even harder to fight with new ID card ...

[Bryan J. Smith]

My problem with a National ID is not the fear of the government.
It's the reality that the government is _too_incompetent_ to secure that
data, and it will be stolen.

Identity Theft is something you can combat today because people _know_
that a Social Security Number is something that is unprotected.  They
_know_ it can be stolen and people can emulate you.

Now with a new "National ID," however it is created, the government will
put more information about you into a "common database" that lots of
people can access.  And they will so-called make it more difficult for
you to obtain -- but government agencies as well as common banks and
other financial institutions will get quick and free access to it.

And we _all_ know the #1 reason that Social Security Numbers get stolen
right now is because government agencies and banks are the _worst_ at
protecting these things.  Why?  Because even the lowest, most
unscruptulous employee can get your number.

I have to give my right eye to get my ID and its number, yet someone
who doesn't make much money and is "having a bad life" can get that
number in 0.5 seconds and use it to make on-line purchases or any other
automated transactions without being in-person, as me.

If the government wants to assign National ID cards to those of us who
work on DoD projects, have clearances, or maybe even passports, that's
fine.  As long as they are for _non-general_ transactions -- federal
accountability/work, international travel, etc...

But for domestic, non-government transactions such as domestic travel,
opening a bank account, making purchases, etc..., _no_.  The value of
American citizenship has always been that the government is "hands off."

I have long argued that the federal government doesn't need to "fear"
its citizens who do not work for the federal government or have access
to international dealings.  It's the people that the federal government
entrusts, allows in the country or anything else that really matters.

Just like the Chinese national who was on the FBI watch list, but he
secured a Top Secret clearance and was working at Los Alamos.  It's
stupid goofs like that which are _far_more_ of a danger to our security
than the average US citizen.

If the government wants to hold people for 72 hours when they are
entering/leaving the country, erect Internet packet filters and other
blocks on the ARIN gateways into North America on the Internet, issue
special IDs with RF-tags on passports, defense contractor badges, etc...
-- I'm all for it!  I have *0* issue with the federal government
exerting control over me, an employee at a defense contractor -- or any
non-citizen or a citizen traveling abroad.

But _not_ on general purpose IDs for _domestic_ use.  Because it _will_
be abused, even if not by the government.  And no one will believe you
when your name and ID is stolen.  And it's ironic, because you have to
basically give your left eye to get the ID, yet it takes 0.5s for
someone at a bank or financial institution to steal it.

And after working at countless financial institutions, I can tell you
that they really don't feel the need to secure your data, because it
affects costs and timelines.  There's *0* accountability.  And that's
what scares me more than the government -- especially with the influence
they _do_ have over even the US government!  Money is king.

http://news.com.com/FAQ+How+Real+ID+will+affect
+you/2100-1028_3-5697111.html?tag=nefd.lede

http://news.com.com/National+ID+cards+on+the
+way/2100-1028_3-5573414.html?tag=nl


-- 
Bryan J. Smith                                  b.j.smith at ieee.org 
------------------------------------------------------------------ 
Community software is all about choice, choice of technology.
Unfortunately, too many Linux advocates port over the so-called
"choice" from the commercial software world, brand name marketing.
The result is false assumptions, failure to focus on the real
technical similarities and loyalty to blind vendor alignments.