RFID Invades the Capital
A new smartcard, the type privacy advocates fear because it combines biometric data with radio tags, will soon be one of the most common ID cards in Washington.
Department of Homeland Security workers in May will begin using the new ID card, called the DAC, to gain access to secure areas, log on to government computers and even pay their Metro subway fares. The DAC, which stands for Department of Homeland Security Access Card, will carry a digital copy of its bearer's fingerprint and other personally identifiable information. It will use radio-frequency identification and Bluetooth technologies to communicate with reader devices at the department's offices.
"The card provides one type of authentication for all forms of access (physical, wired and wireless)," said DHS Director of Authentication Technologies Joseph Broghamer, who participated in a wireless technology conference in Washington, D.C., last week.
