Biometric chips could simplify the passport control process

17 October 2011

The European Union-funded Biopass project aims to develop microchips for passports and identity cards that cannot be read without physical access to the document and that operate with increased speed and encryption.

According to a statement, the research — carried out by 11 partners in five countries through the Eureka network — could reduce queues at passport security by allowing passengers to walk through a gate and have their biometric data and chipped identity document instantly read and checked to ensure they match.

The developers, led by Netherlands-based security firm Gemalto, claim the technology will improve passenger safety while reducing government administration costs and simplifying access to public pan-European electronic services for citizens.

Elements of the system are already being incorporated in systems to meet air travel security standards from 2014.

Data is read using a set of multiple near-field communication (NFC) terminals with very fast interfaces that can transmit thousands of data parameters within a few seconds, with card-reader transfer rates increased more than 10-fold from 800Kb/sec to 10Mb/sec.

To secure the information, the technology uses asymmetric cryptography that relies on a shared key between the reading device and chip during authentication, preventing interception or ‘skimming’.

Biopass technology could be used to secure data for health service access, electronic voting and driving licences.

‘We also worked on proof of security for supplemental access control for e-passports, contributing a new standard called PACE — Password Authenticated Connection Establishment — which was adopted in mid 2011,’ said Patrice Plessis of Gemalto.

‘Moreover, it will be possible to reuse the building blocks developed in middleware/software, biometrics and protocols in other projects and platforms to improve European security and competitiveness.’

In addition, the project has contributed to a new ISO standard for contactless data transfer, currently under consideration, and to the CEN IAS standard for the European Citizen Card.

Packages including the technology are already on the market, while card specialists Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient are working on completely contactless means of internet authentication.