Editor's Corner

 
The need for secure RFID

California has led the charge on many new initiatives that eventually caught fire nationwide, but securing radio frequency identification technology and the privacy of citizens isn't one of them it seems. Last week Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill aimed at creating a security framework for RFID use in state documents and identification cards. In making his decision the governor said he thought it prudent to wait until federal leaders issued security standards on RFID initiatives. That way, he explained, California's rules would be aligned with Uncle Sam's. There are just two basic problems with his thought process around the issue:  the federal government moves slowly, very slowly and emerging technologies require attention. The California legislation, tagged the Identity Information Protection Act of 2006, would have mandated security measures to prevent the abuse of RFID data and to make skimming, or the reading of RFID data without consent, a crime. I just can't see why the federal government would have any issue with that. Hopefully it's looking to lay down the same requirements whenever it gets RFID efforts off the ground. Too bad California's leader doesn't see the incredible opportunity to take the lead on such an effort. -Judy