

Rides Free on the London Underground for a day














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Solution is very inexpensive
By waltaugust on 6/27/2008 10:21:28 AM , Rating: 2
A simple solution would be to block the skimming of the card. Identity Stronghold makes a Secure Sleeve(tm) that you keep your card or passport in and it blocks all RF communication with the chip. The US Federal Government uses it on their employee ID cards. They also have a Secure Badgeholder that can block the RF while leaving the face of the card visible. You can see them on

RE: Solution is very inexpensive
By JasonMick (blog) on 6/27/2008 12:01:52 PM , Rating: 5
Yes, but at some point if the card is to be used, you have to take it out of its secure sleeve. Its not hard to imagine an employee taking their card out and then forgetfully leaving it in your pocket. I'd imagine if you skimmed 5 or 6 employees who used such cards regularly, one would have done such.

In a way such measures might worsen things, because they create a false sense of security.

The only resolution is better cryptography and redesign.

RE: Solution is very inexpensive
By HighWing on 6/27/2008 3:53:56 PM , Rating: 3

I can't help but think this is very similar to the scenario where an employee writes down a password on a sticky note and leaves it by their computer.

And in that case the fault/blame lies with the employee

RE: Solution is very inexpensive
By TomCorelis on 6/28/2008 6:07:41 AM , Rating: 2
Honestly, I find myself doing that with my ATM card and its paper sleeve all the time. I'll get home, empty out my pockets, and realize I lazily forgot to put the card back into its sleeve in my wallet. Sometimes, one will be smooshed in there right in front of the other.

RE: Solution is very inexpensive

RE: Solution is very inexpensive
By Sunbird on 6/27/2008 12:16:47 PM , Rating: 2
Just what is wrong with a magnetic strip card? Why do the cards HAVE to be RFID?

That's even a cheaper and more effective solution...

RE: Solution is very inexpensive

RE: Solution is very inexpensive
No, you are correct.




RE: Solution is very inexpensive
By neothe0ne on 6/27/2008 3:17:54 PM , Rating: 2
Cell phones?

RE: Solution is very inexpensive
By TSS on 6/27/2008 7:20:09 PM , Rating: 3
no see, the solution isn't inexpensive. first, a commitee has to be appointed to find out whats wrong with the current system, then a comittee has to be appointed to appoint the new order to a company (which *will* be given to a friend of the chairman via some way), as there are multiple company's gunning for the order they haved to be screened and determined by said comittee(s), by which time enough money will have been burned to replace the system 3 times.

and once a company has been decided upon, usually several so that everybody get's a piece, the project will be delayed several times due to internal miscommunication until it's considered a faillure and will be replaced by the next project.

the dutch, though i'm proud to be one, aren't good at managing big projects. the betuwelijn is a railroad from the west of holland to germany, calculated cost 1 billion, final cost 5 billion. today there was a news message on a dutch techsite about the UWV, the orginazation that handles unempoyment and such, had burned 87 million euro's on a system which was eventually to complex to be used and had to be abandoned. and this hacked news, isn't news to us. these things have been hacked through several times now, yet the dutch goverment will still implement this technology for our public transportation, like in london (called the OV chipkaart). within a timeframe which guarrantee's faillure.

only thing where good at is making money, not spending it :P


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