“Real” ID

The other day I jumped in a friend’s car for a quick errand. Doing the quick pocket check I noticed that all I had was my cell phone. Oh well, where we were going didn’t require the need for money or identification. If I did need money I could probably use the mobile pay feature. The thought did cross my mind though,  “What if I needed to identify myself to authorities”? Would security officers or the police accept the personal contact card on my phone as my identity?

Without a government issued ID isn’t your phone just like a wallet full of credit, library, reward cards, etc.? Lots of stuff with your name on it but no official identification. For the most part I doubt any police officer would accept information about you on a phone in your possession as a positive ID. They’d probably take it into consideration and just do it old school. Get all of the pertinent details and run a computer check to verify your identity.

Driver’s licenses as ID

When automobiles started roaming the countryside they and their operators were unregistered. In 1901 New York was the first state to require automobiles to be registered. Many states followed suit and required licenses for autos but not the drivers. Massachusetts and Missouri required the first personal U.S. driver’s licenses in 1903. Since that time driver’s licenses have been used not only as an affirmation that the state approved the holder to operate an automobile, but also as a form of personal identification.

Since the U.S. has no national identification cards, the driver’s license has filled that void.

Digital driver’s licenses, to be displayed on phones, are being considered in several states, Maryland being one of those. Security and privacy issues are at the forefront of these considerations. In the Apple v FBI standoff we saw how difficult it is for law enforcement to unlock and/or view information on a persons phone. So until your state adopts a digital driver’s license using your phone to identify yourself probably wouldn’t be taken as official.

Security? Using your phone probably a definite no, as you need a government issued photo ID to get in to facilities and to travel. Airlines accept digital boarding passes when backed by government issued photo DI’s. Even your standard driver’s license is changing. To combat fraud and counterfeits states have been updating licenses and the way they are issued. Although many states took up the license issue themselves, Congress ensured that all states would have to get on board passing the REAL ID Act in 2005.

REAL ID Act

The REAL ID Act set the benchmark for personal forms of identification establishing minimum security standards for driver’s license issuance and production. Further, the act prohibited federal agencies like the TSA from accepting driver’s licenses from states that do not meet the standards. The deadline set by the act is January 22, 2018. After that date residents of all states will need a Real ID Act compliant driver’s license or a passport to pass through airport security.

The act requires that driver’s licenses include all the identification features you would assume but also digital photographs, physical security features that prevent tampering or counterfeiting, and machine readable technology (barcodes/magnetic stripers). As the concept of digital driver’s licenses is being studied, the effective date of the REAL ID Act in 2018 will either extend or quash those studies.

List of REAL ID compliant states can be found on the Department of Homeland Security page, REAL-ID 

While you could probably identify yourself with the contents of your phone it is doubtful you’d get through a serious police encounter. You certainly couldn’t board an airplane. Probably better to add “license” to your pocket checklist.

Read the blog archives for another post about personal identification.

Can I see some ID? February 2014

Can I see some ID?

By now you’ve probably seen the video of the guy who crashed the Super Bowl MVP interview. Matthew Mills claimed to be a 9/11 “truther” and couldn’t believe it when he was able to get so close without proper credentials or reason to be there.

Mills was quickly apprehended and escorted out of the room. His post arrest statement explained how he had made it to the podium. Mills said he told officials that he was running late for work and had to get in. He was allowed to pass. Mills did not think that he would get as far as he did as he moved further and further through each level of security. Once past the final gate and into the stadium it was just a matter of jockeying to the podium.

The NFL and local law enforcement had concentric circles of security that had an extended perimeter well beyond the stadium. So how did an individual get so close as to snatch the microphone away from the podium? Apparently, walk fast and act like you belong came into play here as Mills just talked his way through.

Impostors

Impostors are regularly in the news portraying doctors, lawyers, and professors. In 2009, Michaele and Tareq Salahi made headlines when they were found to have crashed a State dinner at the White House. Without invitations, they looked and dressed the part of invitees and were able to penetrate several layers of security. One the most famous imposters is Frank Abagnale. Abagnale impersonated airline pilots, doctors, and attorneys, all before his capture at the age of 21. He simply looked and acted the parts. It’s how phone scammers are able to get people to wire their life savings to a complete stranger. They are confident and convincing in whatever it is they’re selling.

Steve Jobs was once quoted as saying, “Pretend to be completely in control and people will assume that you are.”

Everyone falls for a scam of one kind or another at some point. Whether it’s helping a Nigerian prince get his money to safety or giving money to a panhandler, we all have either fallen for it or been hit on. Why does it work? Most people are trusting and want to see the good in others. We trust authority and are vulnerable to financial gain. When you get a call from a “reputable” company announcing a refund you’re more likely to give up personal information.

Matthew Mills probably caught security at just the right moment. The big game is over and suddenly someone rushes up excitedly saying he’s late and needs to get to his job. The game is over. Who’d be trying to sneak in then?

You don’t have to be gullible to be taken by con artists. Even the FBI and Secret Service have their moments. Remember, just because someone “looks or speaks the part” doesn’t mean it’s true. A lot of times a few questions will get through their mask.

Keep your guard up and be safe.