Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of US has successfully completed its testing of e-Passports in a live environment. e-Passport is biometrically-enabled technologies to prevent the use of fraudulent or stolen international travel documents and it would ensure the authenticity of international travel documents.
Recently, US-VISIT conducted a successful test of e Passports and e-Passport readers with Basic Access Control (BAC) at San Francisco International Airport. BAC enhances the security of the document and protects the privacy of the traveller by preventing the unauthorised reading, or ‘skimming,’ of information. This test was a collaborative effort between the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. e-Passports contain an individual’s biographic information and a digital photograph on a contactless chip embedded in the document. DHS requires that any passport issued after the October 26 deadline. The U.S. Department of State has begun issuing diplomatic e-Passports and expects to begin issuance of regular e-Passports this summer to U.S. citizens.
Read more: E-passports likely to be rolled out by 2016
