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Presentations
PRIVACY AND SMART CARDS presented at CARDWARE 2001: RIDE THE WAVE
September 6, 2001
by Catherine Johnston,
President & CEO,
The Advanced Card
Technology Association
of Canada
In this world there
are still small communities
where your face,
your handshake and
your
word are all you
need. Unfortunately
most
of us don't live
in those communities.
We
need to carry something
that not only identifies
who we are, but also
what we are entitled
to do or have. Without
them, we can't prove
that we have the
right to drive, to
travel
across borders or
in some cases receive
medical
care. Where we drive
and travel, and information
about our health
is personal and we
have
the right to privacy.
In essence, our drivers
license, passport
and medical cards
provide entitlement
information
in the same way that
our credit cards
carry
information that
allows future payment
to
be made for our purchases.
We've become accustomed
to carrying many
cards, either because
we
want to use the service
offered by each,
or because a government
has mandated us to
do so.
Let's take a look
at the contents of
our
wallets. In mine,
related to my car,
I carry
my driver's license,
vehicle registration,
insurance papers,
and gas company loyalty
cards. For travel,
I have my birth certificate,
provincial medical
card, travel insurance
card, telephone charge
cards and numerous
other credit cards.
In addition to these
there are debit cards
and a various loyalty
programs, video rentals
and grocery stores
cards.
What do these cards
reveal about Catherine
Johnston? If we look
at the papers that
the
government issues
to me or requires
me to
carry in order to
drive, you would
learn
my name, address,
date of birth, height,
the fact that I wear
corrective lenses,
my
driver's license
number, which car
I drive,
my vehicle plate
number and you would
also
have a copy of my
signature and picture.
In other words, you
would have the basics
of my identity. It
is right there for
anyone
who cares to read
the information on
the
surface of these
cards. Right there
for anyone
who wishes to steal
my identity.
This panel deals
with privacy and
technology.
The technology in
my wallet offers
no privacy
whatsoever. If anything,
carrying these cards
puts my identity
at risk if I lose
my wallet.
Let's move to my
provincial health
card.
What does it reveal
about me? By comparison
to my driver's ID,
my health card is
a model
of discretion. It
has my name and signature,
as well as the number
used by the health
care system to identify
me as being eligible
for provincial health
care. Privacy versus
technology? This
card is the model
of privacy
but is inefficient
as a secure billing
mechanism,
because it was not
designed to withstand
attacks by people
who counterfeit and
sell
health cards to people
who are not entitled
to government paid
health care. It also
doesn't
allow me to add my
Doctor's name and
phone
number, a person
to call in case of
emergencies,
my blood type, drug
allergies, current
treatments
or any other information
that would be vital
if I were sick and
unable to verbally
provide
it.
If I were a senior
citizen, a child
or an
adult with a condition
requiring me to see
more than one doctor,
my card doesn't allow
me to give permission
for them to share
data
electronically. This
means that I am more
likely to be tested
twice for the same
condition
so that each doctor
can have timely test
results. It also
means that I'm more
likely
to suffer from a
drug interaction
since today
I'm the only person
who can tell each
doctor
which drugs I am
already taking. In
addition
to these risks, we
are seeing a cut
back
in health care services
because budgets are
being cut and yet
we are not effectively
cutting health card
fraud.
What has this got
to do with privacy
and
smart cards? Today's
government issued
cards
are extremely easy
to counterfeit and
so
they are readily
available for purchase
outside
of the province.
The use of our medical
care
system by unauthorized
persons has contributed
to the budget crisis.
You've recently read
in the press articles
erroneously suggesting
that smart cards
put
our privacy at risk.
Clearly the people
who
write those articles
fail to understand
the
privacy enabling
strength of the technology.
Most often, if you
probe their concerns,
you find that it
is not technology,
but rather
policies and procedures
that worry them.
Because of that,
they fail to make
use of
technology to protect
us.
Let's look at how
smart card applications
can protect our privacy.
We know that a smart
card is basically
a pc on a piece of
plastic.
Let's compare this
to computers. On
your
corporate mainframe
computer you may
run
a payroll application.
If you have physical
access to the computer
or a terminal linked
to it, you do not
necessarily have
access
to the payroll application.
The application
itself is designed
so that only those
who
are authorized may
access the payroll
data.
Even then, they can't
necessarily change
it; otherwise payroll
clerks would likely
have the biggest
pay cheques. These
mainframe
applications are
designed so that
every field
or piece of data
is analyzed as to
who may
view it, add to it,
modify or delete
it.
The same process
is used to develop
applications
for smart and other
advanced cards. This
allows us to put
information on smart
cards
and protect it from
access by unauthorized
persons. It also
allows us to make
information
easily viewable by
the card owner, in
other
words you and me,
giving us an opportunity
to verify the information
on the card.
Can smart card technology
protect your privacy?
A pioneer in the
field of smart cards
once
commented that they
are the only technology
in the world designed
to kill themselves
rather than give
up their secrets.
Somewhat
like the Mission
Impossible tapes,
but without
that sexy little
puff of smoke. Smart
cards
can be programmed
to detect intrusions
by
unauthorized sources
and destroy their
communication
links. We have now
seen the first non-military
smart card product
that has achieved
an Information
Security (ITSEC)
level 6 rating from
the
CESG, a UK government
agency. More will
follow,
as applications requiring
that level of security
are developed.
Plans are now in
place for leading
manufacturers
to include smart
card reader/writers
in new
pc's. This will lead
to the development
of
many new applications
for smart cards and
security to support
those applications
will
be a prerequisite.
In the business world,
smart cards will
be the inevitable
e-commerce
enabler, because
of the security and
portability
they offer.
The Advanced Card
Technology Association
of Canada believes
strongly in the need
to
understand privacy
protection and to
build
it into all applications
that sit on smart
and other advanced
card platforms. To
that
end, we have worked
with the Office of
the
Information and Privacy
Commissioner/Ontario
to produce two procedures
for application
designers.
The first deals with
single application
cards
and the newest, which
I believe is the
first
of its kind in the
world, is entitled,
"Multi-Application
Smart Cards; How
to do a Privacy Assessment".
It teaches the reader
the principles of
privacy
protection and the
need to look at privacy
systematically. This
document stresses
that
the responsibility
for privacy protection
is not limited to
the data on the card
but
extends to all mediums
on which the data
is collected and
subsequently stored.
The
designer is then
provided with checklists
that allow the assessment
and documentation
of procedures for
each privacy principle.
Once the application
has been viewed as
a
whole, the individual
data fields are listed
on other checklists.
These are used to
help
the designer determine
who should have access
to each data field
and what rights they
have
to view, add, change,
or delete each field.
The procedure also
identifies the protection
in place between
applications residing
on
a multi-application
card.
This procedure is
designed to ensure
that
proper thought is
given to privacy
protection
during the design
stages of an application.
It also builds documentation
that records
the privacy protection
design. Checklists
can be copied and
used with each new
design.
As for public consultation,
I believe that
the public should
be informed, but
care must
be taken to ensure
that they have sufficient
information to understand
the risks, opportunities,
benefits and technologies
associated with
new programs.
Several years ago
the Toronto Star
asked
a question related
to ID cards in their
popular
"You Asked Us"
column. They asked
whether citizens
would be willing
to carry
a national ID card.
Although more than
half
who responded by
phone said they would,
there
were several comments
about police states
and similar concerns.
A second question
was
asked several months
later. This time
more
information was provided
as to the reason
why such a card would
be issued. The question
was, "Do you
think all Canadians
should
carry an identity
card to crack down
on welfare
and medicare abuses?"
Of 1,535 calls
89% said yes. As
individuals we constantly
assess the risks
that we face in the
world
and make decisions
related to minimizing
those risks.
We must look to technology
to protect us,
but in doing so we
must maintain our
ongoing
rights to protection
of privacy. As technology
is employed we have
the right and, I
believe
the obligation, to
ensure that the new
technologies
do not expose us
to new risks. To
that end
we must educate ourselves
on the ways in
which new technologies
can be used for privacy
protection.
Furthermore we must
always be aware of
public
and corporate policies
and be ever vigilant
that they are equally
committed to preserving
our privacy. It is
important to recognize
that technology is
only a tool. Whether
it
is employed for good
or bad purposes is
determined
by someone's policies,
procedures and intent.
Focusing on technology
in isolation will
serve none of us
well.
In closing, I would
say that the principles
of privacy do not
change to any great
degree.
On the other hand,
new technologies
enter
the market place
with great speed.
Unfortunately,
the risks that we
face from those who
would
do us harm grow with
each passing year.
Theft
of identity is becoming
one of the fastest
growing frauds of
rest of this decade.
If we continue to
ask questions and
debate
items such as "privacy
versus technology"
we will be our own
worst enemies. We
cannot
divert our attention
from the real issues
of risk. The question
and the debate should
be on how well and
how soon we will
use all
the tools at hand
to protect our privacy
and our identity.
Only when we demand
efficiency
and privacy will
we start to protect
ourselves.
Thank you.
Catherine Johnston
President & CEO
Advanced Card Technology Association of Canada
905 426-6360
ACT Canada is an international non-profit
association for the advancement of card technologies.
We work on behalf of our members to promote
the awareness, understanding and use of all
advanced card technologies; including optical,
smart, capacitive and emerging technologies.
If you would like to learn more about ACT
Canada membership please visit the membership section of our web site or contact our office at
(905) 426-6360.
Please forward any comments, suggestions,
or questions to info(AT)actcda.com
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