HID Global Helps Secure Argentinians’ Biometric Passport Data

HID Global has won a contract to provide the Argentine government with an upgraded ePassport that will both reduce costs and improve security, the company says.

One of the new passport’s security features, radio-frequency shield built into the ePassport’s cover will help to protect the biometric and biographic citizen data stored in the card’s embedded chip. The shield is designed to impede radio communications when the ePassport booklet is closed, reducing the risk of unauthorized access to the passport’s electronic elements.

In a statement announcing the project, HID Global VP Rob Haslam explained, “Our eCover is one piece of a broader portfolio of HID solutions, systems, software and services that we offer to help governments issue and manage citizen IDs for millions of people.” Meanwhile, Argentina’s Institute of Publications and Statistics President, Eduardo Lerner, said the solution helps “to support Argentina’s goal to provide its citizens with one of the most secure passports in the world.”

The upgraded ePassport also features a copper wire antenna, replacing the printed antenna of the passport currently in use by Argentine citizens. The copper wire provides a more reliable connection to the ePassport’s embedded chip containing citizen data.

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June 26, 2018 – by Alex Perala