LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Passports: Homeland Security
built 630 days ago
"From credit cards and electronic wallets, to mobile phone SIM cards, e-passports and identity cards, smart cards have become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives," said Ian Drew, vice president, segment marketing, ARM. "As smart cards are required to support more complex applications and security features, the market will continue to shift from 8-bit to 32-bit processors. The SecurCore SC300 processor provides great system performance with very low power consumption, and vastly simplifies the migration to 32-bit smart card platforms through a familiar programming environment."
Source:
The legal driving force of biometric passports (sometimes referred to as electronic passports) is the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, which states that smart-card IDs may be used in lieu of visas. That law ... provides that foreigners who travel to the U.S., and want to enter the U.S. visa-free under the Visa Waiver Program, must bear machine-readable passports which comply with international standards. If a foreign passport was issued on or after October 26, 2006, that passport must be a biometric passport.
Source:
CC provides the basis for confirming the reliability and safety of security-related functions in IC cards used in electronic IDs, electronic passports, and electronic driver’s licenses. Higher EAL ratings indicate more accurate and effective data security capabilities. An EAL 4+ rating is required for products such as electronic passports that have strict security requirements.
Source:
In recent years, there has been a movement to introduce biometric information to passports to improve identity security. It is at present questionable whether such technology is sufficiently developed and robust for this task. The U.S., for example, twice delayed the introduction of this technology due to poor reliability.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Homeland Security