They were told it was a bad idea.

[unixronin]

RFID passports, that is.  Little better supporting reason for actually implementing the scheme, due to go into service in the US in 2007 or 2008, has been given besides "because we can".

Well, it is reported (via schneier) that a year before the new RFID passports even enter service, someone has already figured out how to clone them, and demonstrated the technique today at the BlackHat hacker conference.  He says it only took him two weeks to figure it out, based solely on publicly available specifications of the ICAO standard, and tested the attack against a new EU German passport.

Comments

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

But we think the administration thinks that terrorists are too stupid, or too afraid of water, to use a privately owned boat. What is WRONG with these people? Hell, the last (and so far, only) time we caught a terrorist slipping into the US from Canada, he DID come in by boat.