NXP, the newly spun-off semiconductor provider originally founded by Philips, has been chosen by the US Department of State as one of the suppliers for the country''s new e-passport programme.

     The new passports, designed to enhance border security and to facilitate international travel of US citizens, contain secure contactless smart chip technology. They can be scanned at authorized passport control points to speed the authentification process and increase security. The new ePassports will be rolled out across the United States by the end of the first quarter of 2007. 116.30.145.87 This article is copyright 2006 UsingRFID.com.

More secure
     The new US passport is similar to existing passports, but with the addition of a contactless chip, which stores the data visually displayed on the photo page of the passport, along with a digital photograph. The photograph enables biometric comparison to ensure that the bearer of the passport is the person to whom it was issued. The new passports will also incorporate other anti-fraud and security features.

     The State Department has also included a number of features to address privacy issues and to ensure the safe-keeping of information. The read range of the contactless smart chip is only a few centimetres and shielding material has been included in the book''s cover to prevent potential access to the chip while the cover is closed.

Anti-skim
     In addition the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) basic access control (BAC) standard is employed to prevent "skimming" and eavesdropping (attempts to read the contactless high frequency communication between the passport chip and the reader device at the border control station). These combined features will help mitigate the potential for unauthorized reading of the citizen''s passport data.

     NXP reports that it has been involved with over 80% of all smart passport implementations globally. Thirty countries have included contactless chips from NXP in their programmes, including Austria, France, Germany, New Zealand and Singapore.

     For the US e-passport programme NXP will be supplying its 72Kbyte EEPROM chips to the smart card manufacturer Gemalto, which is providing secure smart card packages for the e-passports. Gemalto''s package was recently selected by the State Department for final test and evaluation.

Security compliance
     NXP''s SmartMX passport chip solutions meet the ICAO BAC data security and access standard, which prevents the unauthorized reading of e-passports by requiring that the passport be physically open and presented to an authorized reader at a border crossing point.

The official must first scan the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) of the passport, obtaining a key that authenticates the passport contactlessly, and only then transmits the passport holder''s information via a secure, encrypted communication.

 

 

 

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