Ms Joyce Tam, Principal Assistant Secretary

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Presentation on Multi-application Smart ID Card
to the Information Infrastructure Advisory
Committee Thursday 30 November 2000

• Ms Joyce Tam, Principal Assistant Secretary
• for Information Technology and Broadcasting

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Multi-application Smart ID Card Scheme
???
FONG, Ching Ming
2455 0339 2494
???? Date of Birth ? F
17-08-1965
Z-A-B-C
???? Date of Issue
19-10-2000 (02-00)
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Initial Applications of theMulti-application
Smart ID Card
Electronic Authentication
Digital Certificate
Driving Licence
Library Card
Enhancement of Financial Infrastructure, e.g.
e-purse
Change of Address
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Public Consultation on the Project

• We have carried out consultation through the
  following channels -
• Legislative Council Security Panel
• Legislative Council Security Panel Public Hearing
• Information Infrastructure Advisory Committee
• District Councils of 18 districts
• Roving Exhibitions in shopping centres
• Feedback from the media

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Common Areas of Concerns

• Privacy
• Data Concentration
• Security
• Choice of Cardholders
• Cost of Project
• Durability of Smart Card

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Privacy

• Concerns -
• The Smart ID Card would infringe data privacy of
  the cardholders
• Measures to be taken to address concern -
• Strict compliance with the Personal Data
  (Privacy) Ordinance
• Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA)
• Close consultation with the Privacy Commissioner
• Legislative safeguard and introduction of
  administrative code of practice where necessary
• Minimal data to be stored on the card

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Data Concentration

• Concerns -
• Concentration of data on the card may lead to
  function creep where data would be used for
  purposes beyond those for which data were
  originally collected
• Measures to be taken to address concern -
• Minimal data to be stored on the card
• No sharing of databases among different
  departments
• Stringent access control to system and database
• Data on the card to be segregated and encrypted
• Central monitoring through a steering committee
  and development of administrative code of
  practice where necessary

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Security

• Concerns -
• Smart card is not entirely secure
• Measures to be taken to address concern -
• High maturity level of cryptographic technology
• Adequate risk management measures
• Experts to conduct security design and audit
• Compromise of one card will not result in
  compromise of the whole security regime
• Minimal data to be stored on the card
• Sensitive data to be stored in backend systems of
  Government departments as at present

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Choice of Cardholders

• Concerns -
• Cardholders may not have genuine, voluntary and
  non-discriminatory choice on the additional
  applications
• Measures to be taken to address concern -
• Measures to ensure genuine and non-discriminatory
  choice
• Driving licence is likely to be the only possible
  exception as it would be confusing to have two
  types of driving licence

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Cost of Project

• Concerns -
• Cost of project at 3.06 billion is expensive
• Justification
• The cost is for replacement of the whole ID card
  system and the individual cards
• The cost is well-justified by the benefits
  (higher security level, auto-immigration
  clearance, greater convenience provided by the
  additional applications)
• The cost differential for smart card against
  non-smart card is about 10
• The cost differential for multi-application smart
  card against immigration-only smart card is also
  about 10

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Durability of Card

• Concerns
• Smart card not durable and cannot last for 10
  years as purported
• Measures to be taken to address concern -
• Strong card materials - Polycarbonate will be
  used
• Guaranteed minimum life of 10 years
• 100,000 - 300,000 read/write access

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Looking Ahead

• Open Forum organised by Hon. Emily Lau (1
  Dec)
• Motion Debate at Legislative Council (6 Dec)
• Forum organised for the IT sector by
  Hon. SIN Chung-kai (Jan)
• Seeking funding approval from Finance Committee
  (Jan)
• System development (2001-2002)
• Card issue and replacement (2003-2007)
• Essential legislative amendment to be made
  before card issue

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• Thank you