ID cards : well-intentioned, but no guarantees

The man in charge of overseeing the UK's ID card scheme is confident that all data will be stored securely, but admits that even after three months study he cannot give the scheme a full bill of health. 

 

The Identity Commissioner Sir Joseph Pilling said he had spent three months "trying to understand an ambitious and complicated programme of work" and was pleased with the effort that had been put in."I'm pleased with the commitment and dedication to producing a safe and secure ID card programme that the members of Identity and Passport Service (IPS) have shown,” he commented. 

 

But he added: "A lot of work remains to be done and some tricky issues are not yet resolved. On the other hand, on the basis of wide experience of central government, IPS strikes me as well-motivated and equipped with the right culture and skills to make it more likely than not that it will succeed...More than in most places staff understand why security needs to be taken seriously rather than it being regarded as an irritating obstacle to getting the real work done.”

 

Pilling's report admits that it is near impossible to establish any fraudulent activity: "By definition it will always be impossible to know how many cards have been obtained fraudulently. At this very early stage when the number might well be none, it is not even possible to make an informed guess."

 

The ID card data will be held in a temporary database and then transferred over to a larger database in 2012. Pilling said he will be reviewing plans for the longer term strategic solution and to ensure that the switch-over, when it comes, occurs without any compromise to the security and integrity of the data.

"My initial view is that I see no problem with having two distinct solutions,” he said. 

 

The Home Office said in a statement: "We welcome the identity commissioner's comments and we will work with him to make the most of his insight and advice. The National Identity Register is held in a secure repository and is security accredited to meet government and industry standards. The transition arrangements will be carefully managed.”

 

More than 5,000 ID cards have been issued since last year in the north west of England and to 18 to 24-year-olds in London.