EZ-Pass is a perfect example of people choosing convenience over security, and a bad design "creating the tools for tyranny". While the accounting system most certainly keeps records of where you were, and when, so it can do billing, the system is structured in such a way that an intrusive government can place antennas anywhere they want, and clandestinely record all EZ-Pass equipped vehicles passing a given point (even if it is not a toll site). [It just struck me that there may be a novel legal challenge to this; since you have contracted with a transport agency to use EZ-Pass, any non-contractual activation of the system could be legally construed as computer hacking - the snooping antenna has to power up your EZ-pass' chip (that's what those big inductive loop antennas are for), cause it to run a program, and return a result. If the EZ-Pass is rented from the authority I don't know if you'd have standing to sue, though.] Of course, EZ-Pass could have been designed so that the device was anonymous, and prepaid stored value (bought for cash) smartcards used to meter access. It would probably have worked out cheaper as well, since the accounting overhead goes away, and they make intereset on the float of unused cards.... ....but such a mechanism would not have suited Big Brother nearly as well. Peter Disclaimer: The above represents my personal views only]
---------- From: Bill Stewart[SMTP:bill.stewart@pobox.com] Reply To: Bill Stewart Sent: Friday, November 03, 2000 10:35 PM To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net Subject: RISKS: New Jersey shuts down E-ZPass statement site after security breached
the following pleasant article on privacy was on RISKS.
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2000 11:19:44 -0400 (EDT) From: danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> Subject: EZ-Pass discovers risk of sending URLs instead of actual text
In a story datelined 24-Oct-2000, and headlined:
New Jersey shuts down E-ZPass statement site after security breached
The Associated Press reported on a problem with privacy and security on the New Jersey EZPASS website where people can review their usage. (EZPass is a radio transponder placed in your motor vehicle which is "read" at toll booths, enabling you to zip through without having to stop and hand over cash. Naturally it keeps records of when and where you were for billing purposes... Which is another RISK all together)
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