Question

Describe some advantages of using computer technology (e.g., smart cards, databases, etc.) for identification cards and identification systems, as compared to the current Social Security card and number system. Describe some serious potential risks or problems of using computerized ID cards/systems. Consider both private and governmental uses.

Answer in 3 paragraphs. Like an essay.

Answer 1

Description of some advantages of using computer technology such as smart cards, databases, etc., for identification cards and identification systems, as compared to the current Social Security card and number system:

Using a digital or computerized identification system is always advantageous, beneficial, profitable, as compared to the current Social Security card and number system. In general, these digital or computerized identification systems using smart cards, databases, etc., for identification cards and identification systems purposes are, robust, flexible, seamless, reliable, highly available, quick, cheap, convenient, secured, simpler, and easier than the current systems.

These computerized identification systems work correctly, properly, completely, accurately, and precisely with no or negligible amount of errors, mistakes, or bugs- one in millions. These systems are trustworthy. These systems can be accessed and would be available across the globe for all those people who are authorized to use them. These systems are failure resistant or support fail-overs, providing redundancy in the services, resources, and data for the users.

For example, digital IDs provided to users are verified to a very high degree of assurance, unique, and are set up with every individual's consent, and these protect users' privacy and have control over data.

These computerized identification systems verify the identity of a person and store data in a database of a server that is durable, highly available, reliable, and work at a very high performance. These systems are very effective and even efficient. From the physical handling perspective, these are light weighted systems, thus easy to lift, carry, install, uninstall, and transport. Some of these computerized identification systems are very advanced, well-known, and use and are booming technologies. Some of these systems are biometric characteristics such as finger, hand, or iris recognition, facial recognition, voice identification, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), signature recognition, Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID), and use bar codes. All these different characteristics have their own and unique capabilities and are effective for identification purposes. They account for a speedy process for identification, verification, authentication, authorization, and security checks.

For example, a microprocessor-based smart card is only a type of chip card and a plastic card which is embedded with a computer chip, with numerous applications, from transportation systems, identification purposes, systems, devices, applications login, access, usage purposes through authentication, identification, verification, and later authorization processes. Hence, this technology enables the secure identification of users and allows them to access authorized information and other physical accesses of systems. One of the examples of such a card is a SIM card in one's mobile phone. Which also supports GPS (Global Positioning System) to track where the person at a given point of time is, to see if the card is active and is in service or de-activated, suspended, or the service is terminated. It protects identity credentials which are the most secure means of authentication. Smart cards are integrated into company badges and university IDs making them personal, professional, and business-oriented.

Other examples: The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), is another computerized identification system.
Eurodac, is the European fingerprint database to identify asylum seekers and others.
Another example, eID, which is an electronic IDentification, which is another computerized and digital solution to prove identity of citizens.

All these systems use specialized databases, software and computers designed for their specific functions and capabilities. Also, these digital identification systems are used which require data about persons stored in computer systems, in databases, storage devices, and servers, which are linked to their civil, or national, identities, unifying all other government IDs or other relevant IDs into one.

Description of some serious potential risks or problems of using computerized ID cards or systems, considering both private and governmental uses:

Below risks and problems are seen in both, private and governmental uses, and in fact, general public uses as well.

* If an attacker or hacker hacks or breaches one server, or database server through certain and specific kinds of attacks, he/she can get (steal) all the information (personal, private, professional, and social) of all the users whose details and data are stored in the particular database or the server. Hence there would not be any security. There have been cases across the world where hackers hacked millions of records, SSNs, other identification numbers, credit card details, etc., of people, and misued the same for their monetary gains.

* Not all customers, people, users or end users, home users are aware of these computerized identification systems, nor many of them will understand despite training and awareness programs. Hence, it requires proper, detailed, easy to understand training, awareness, demonstration to be provided to all sets of people across the world.

* Hence, the biggest risk of any national ID system is the databases holding the critical and crucial data of the people of their respective IDs stored in those databases getting hacked.

* In the health sector, any incorrect, wrong, intentional, accidental, attack, or hack of these databases, any wrong manipulation of data would potentially cause dangerous errors in medications, transfusions, and testing, harming, hurting, and killing people or patients.

* Any lack of identification at any point of time by a user would be a major barrier to financial inclusion.

* Any and all technological failure will incur a loss and would slow the pace of computerized identification systems adoption and prevent the economic value from being realized. These could be due to software, hardware, or network issues, errors, or bugs.