Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced yesterday that anyone over 16 in the city with a UK passport will be able to apply for a card from the Home Office from autumn 2009.
But John Barker, general manger of TSSI Systems Ltd said the announcement was “premature”.
He said: “The scheme works on the assumption that people will apply on a voluntary basis although it is not entirely clear what the real benefits to members of the public are.
“It is estimated that the ID cards will cost between GB pound 30 and GB pound 60 to produce at a time when the government is focused on curbing public spending.
“Advocates of the scheme point to the benefits of personalised public services, but this will rely on the appropriate supporting systems being in place which could take up to five years.
“The estimated cost of the project to the Home Office is about GB pound 5 billon, but Dr Whitley of the London School of Economics estimates that the last four years has already seen astronomical costs of between GB pound 10-20 billion. So it seems to me as though the government has bitten off more than it can chew.
“One of the arguments for the introduction of ID cards is that they can help combat impersonation, ID theft and fraud. However, the Government’s proposed ID card scheme does not go far enough to address this issue.
“Stronger verification technology needs to be in place. Biometric technology alone does not suffice to prevent fraud.
“For example, the Dutch biometric passports were cracked soon after launching, despite strong encryption. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a 100 per cent secure solution – and saying you’ve got one is an open invitation to hackers! All you can do is minimise the risk as far as possible.
“What’s needed if the ID card scheme is to work is a belt and braces approach. Storing the data as an algorithmic encryption makes it impossible for even the most sophisticated fraudster to read or substitute.
“Even authorised personnel – and therefore any successful hackers – would only be able to view binary code, and not the finger, iris or facial data itself.
“They would also be unable to replicate the algorithm to clone the card. However, this method of encryption goes beyond the scope of the ID cards currently proposed.
“With the projected cost of the scheme seemingly escalating and potential gaps in the security of the technology, is this really the right time to launch?”
