The debate over national ID cards

Security Strategies This newsletter is sponsored by FireEye Perspectives Editorial Webcast: What You Don't Know About Crimeware Can Cost You Cybercrime is on the rise AND getting more nefarious. Script kiddies kept us busy with their pesky hacks, but the name of the game today is profit, meaning attacks are targeted and more dangerous. This webcast looks at how the game is changing and what it means for corporate IT shops. Network World's Security Strategies Newsletter, 05/15/07 The debate over national ID cards By M. E. Kabay The REAL ID Act: is currently the subject of hot debate in the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Senate. One proponent of the act says its purpose is “to make sure our driver’s licenses and government issued IDs can’t be faked. We need to hold employers accountable for hiring illegal workers, and real IDs will make this enforcement possible.” Even if one disapproves of the very idea of a national identity card, with all the privacy concerns that such a system raises, it’s hard to disagree that the burden of extra paperwork would inconvenience some illegal immigrants to the U.S. as well as imposing additional nuisances on citizens and legal residents requesting drivers’ licenses. However, the Department of Homeland Security has a startling assertion on its Web site: “REAL ID is a nationwide effort intended to prevent terrorism.” The Security Standard - The Only Executive Summit Focused on the Business, Management and Strategic Aspects of Security September 10-11, 2007 | The Fairmont Hotel Chicago How do your security initiatives support company business goals? The answer to this question can make all the difference in gaining the corporate-wide support and resources you need to drive your security strategies. Uncover best practices and organizational strategies for achieving success by attending The Security Standard Conference. Click here for more details. Click here for more details One category of objections is exactly analogous to opposition to gun-control laws: the laws won’t work because criminals will ignore them. For example, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) wrote in 2005: “One overriding point has been forgotten: Criminals don’t obey laws! As with gun control, national ID cards will only affect law-abiding citizens. Do we really believe a terrorist bent on murder is going to dutifully obtain a federal ID card? Do we believe that people who openly flout our immigration laws will nonetheless respect our ID requirements? Any ID card can be forged; any federal agency or state DMV is susceptible to corruption. Criminals can and will obtain national ID cards, or operate without them. National ID cards will be used to track the law-abiding masses, not criminals.” By this reasoning, we would have no laws at all. More on this topic in the next column.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: M. E. Kabay, Ph.D., CISSP-ISSMP, is Associate Professor of Information Assurance and CTO of the School of Graduate Studies at Norwich University in Northfield, Vt. Mich can be reached by e-mail and his Web site. Special discount for Network World Security Strategies readers: For a 10% discount on the upcoming INFOSEC Year in Review workshop in Marina Del Ray, Calif., on June 4-5, 2007, use code WNW07 when registering online or by phone. This newsletter is sponsored by FireEye Perspectives Editorial Webcast: What You Don't Know About Crimeware Can Cost You Cybercrime is on the rise AND getting more nefarious. Script kiddies kept us busy with their pesky hacks, but the name of the game today is profit, meaning attacks are targeted and more dangerous. This webcast looks at how the game is changing and what it means for corporate IT shops. ARCHIVE Archive of the Security Strategies Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: security.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007