What To Know About The Microchip In Your U.S. Passport
Security has become a significant concern for many countries when it comes to identification documents issued. Not only on documents use to travel but also on spending. For instance, many cards like your bank or credit card have security features visible to you, the microchip.
The chip is used to store information about the bearer of the document. For a passport, the information obtained after scanning the chip will produce a person’s biometrics and address. Also, a photo of the person.
Why worry about your information getting stolen?
The RFID chip or radio frequency identification is more secure than you think. The State Department issues new passports with a chip that makes it difficult for anyone to take information from.
Security Measures Taken
- First, to get information from a passport, it must be open and scan at a close range. So, if you are walking around with your passport in your pocket, losing your information to someone is next to impossible.
- Second, the information on your passport will not help anyone to steal your identity. There is not plenty of information on a passport like there is on a credit or bank card. Also, if the data gets taken and change when the chip is scanned, your information like your picture pops up and the person using it will get caught right away.
- Third, if you still think you prefer not to take any wrist with your passport, you can, but an RFID shielded wallet to keep it in. The wallet will prevent losing your information from being scanned by anyone who is not authorized to do so.
Other Documents with RFID Chip
Other documents have RFID chips or microchips embedded in them. For instance, credit and debit cards have this technology. Your credit and debit cards have way more information than a passport. So, you are more likely to give away more information from these documents than you will with a passport.
You will also find hotel room keys, company IDs, and other cards with a microchip. In all, over 80 countries around the world use microchips to secure people information.
Take Comfort With the Microchip
So, you can rest easy that RFID chips are secured to the highest level. However, not everything is 100% secure. For this reason and others, the Department of State continues to improve the technology so that your personal information is much hardy to steal from your passport or any other document or ID that uses a microchip.