Passport security breach casts doubt on ID cards scheme

1.44.57pm GMT Mon 7th Aug 2006

Following news that British biometric passports have been successfully hacked, David Howarth MP for Cambridge has renewed calls for ID card proposals to be scrapped.

Passports containing biometric data have been used in Britain since March and the Government plans to combine them with biometric ID cards. A security consultant, Lukas Grunwald, announced this week that he had discovered how to copy the data from biometric passports which could then be implanted into fake passports. The equipment he used cost just $200 (£105).

Mr. Howarth commented on the news:

"The Government is being extremely naïve to believe that the biometric data stored in the new passports and in their planned ID card database will be secure against hackers. The news that the technology has already been hacked is not a surprise.

"The evidence is mounting against ID cards and yet Gordon Brown is planning to expand the ID card scheme into the private sector to allow companies to share confidential data with the police databases. The Government must realise the error of its ways and call off the expensive and unnecessary ID card scheme."