Mythbusters Silenced by Credit Card Companies

[steeladept]

maybe I am missing something, but these devices are just microelectronics, right?  Can't an EMP pulse (or even a rare earth magnet for that matter) screw it up enough to be unusable?  I understand that is not as feasible with credit cards, since that is what they run off of, but for the passport?  Just a thought.

[CWuestefeld]

I just got my passport and it also has RFID in it.

-Deozaan (September 07, 2008, 12:51 AM)

I had read that the gov't was going to issue these with insulating sleeves to prevent bad guys from reading it (kind of like the way EasyPass toll devices are shipped). But my wife's new RFID passport did not have this.

They really don't take security seriously at all.

[Ehtyar]

I think I'm still missing the point entirely...were people getting RSI from having to actually make physical contact between their cards and the terminal? Is this too much for people in the 21st century?

Ehtyar.

[tomos]

I think I'm still missing the point entirely...were people getting RSI from having to actually make physical contact between their cards and the terminal? Is this too much for people in the 21st century?

-Ehtyar (September 07, 2008, 03:57 PM)

are you posting to the wrong thread Ethyar - or misreading something ? (or am I ...)

[Ehtyar]

Er...I started this thread. I was speaking in regards to the CC companies embedding rfid tags into their cards, and questioning the reasoning for it.

Ehtyar.

[tomos]

Er...I started this thread. I was speaking in regards to the CC companies embedding rfid tags into their cards, and questioning the reasoning for it

-Ehtyar (September 07, 2008, 04:40 PM)

 Apologies - the "RSI" reference above confused me - I obviously havent read everything again ..

[Ehtyar]

RSI as in did swiping the card 5 times a day cause them some form of injury. I took a little dramatic license

Ehtyar.

[Shades]

So....to be a drama queen in Australia, you need a license?   

[Ehtyar]

LOL, it would appear not

Ehtyar.

[Deozaan]

maybe I am missing something, but these devices are just microelectronics, right?  Can't an EMP pulse (or even a rare earth magnet for that matter) screw it up enough to be unusable?  I understand that is not as feasible with credit cards, since that is what they run off of, but for the passport?  Just a thought.

-steeladept (September 07, 2008, 11:18 AM)

Tampering with your passport is illegal.

[Ehtyar]

*cough*take the center page for swim*cough*

Ehtyar.

[J-Mac]

Hey folks - it appears that this may not be exactly true. Adam Savage has essentially stated that he was incorrect when he reported this story.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10031601-52.html

Jim

[Deozaan]

Hey folks - it appears that this may not be exactly true. Adam Savage has essentially stated that he was incorrect when he reported this story.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10031601-52.html

Jim

-J-Mac (September 16, 2008, 01:16 AM)

Hmm... Not sure. It seems believable that Adam has been coerced to retract his statement. Especially if you really believed him in the first place. I mean, if the lawyers can prevent a whole TV studio from airing a show, they can also coerce one person to "officially" take back what they said.

[J-Mac]

At the very least he is admitting that he had the facts wrong in his original statement.

Of course if you're a died-in-the-wool conspiracy theorist, that matters not.   

Jim