After August 2, 2021, anyone whose identity card expires must exchange it for a new ID. But is the new evidence safer? Will the government mObywat app protect us from personal data theft?
This year, it is estimated at 1 million 546 thousand. The Poles will exchange their identity card for a new one – according to information Canillaria provided to the Prime Minister. The new identity documents are the result of the entry into force of the European Union regulation, which requires the implementation of the highest security standards for these types of documents
In April of this year. The Digital Policy Promotion Department of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery announced that new ID cards will be introduced. The most important changes to its privacy are our fingerprinting and reverting to the presence of the owner’s signature. Existing documents will be available for use until they expire, while new documents will begin issuance on August 2, 2021.
The reason for the decision to replace them was European Union Regulation No. 019/1157 of June 20, 2019. Member states are required to implement the best security for the electronic evidence layer in which our biometric data will be stored. It is the fingerprint and signature that increase the security level of documents against forgery. Our fingerprint record will be stored in the ID record until the date we receive the ID, but not more than 90 days after the date of issuance.
There are already more than 2 million citizens using the mObywat government app – reports from the Prime Minister’s Cabinet. It allows, inter alia, to confirm personal data and store it on a smartphone in the form of a virtual ID card, driver’s license or student ID. The application allows you to freely confirm your identity when we do not have a physical equivalent with us, for example when checking tickets on the train and receiving a parcel from the post office, or even in the case of glass or when renting a plane. However, it must be remembered that the virtual world will not replace the real world and there are instances where the citizen’s mO identity card is not respected. This includes registering a SIM card, as long as the document is shown at the bank or at the airport.
When replacing ID cards with new ones, you should ask yourself – is the digital ID card stored in the application as safe as its real counterpart?
The directory entered in the mObywat app is protected by a number of security measures. This is guaranteed, among other things hologram, watermark and dynamic effect. It should be noted, however, that the graphics that appear on the smartphone screen can be more easily falsified than the falsification of a physical document. For this reason, there are three methods of identity validation: identity verification, functional verification, and via mVerifier. The last option is an app that easily checks the authenticity of the document entered in mObywatel. However, as the recent presidential elections show, the mVerifier often goes unused even during an important activity such as verifying a citizen’s identity while voting for the head of state.
Storing data on a phone always has the risk of losing it. Despite the fact that it is encrypted in the application and that the program has a certificate specific to the device, it may happen that the document is used by a third party – says Arkadiusz Sadkowski, IT security specialist at ODO 24. Of course, having the physical document also includes dealing with risks , Such as being lost or stolen. However, in the end it is the only and most important version of our ID – he adds.
MObywat is a relatively new tool that we can use. Therefore, more education is needed in using this type of technological facility.
Remember to protect yourself from unauthorized access to our documents by a third party. In this case, it is worth installing an anti-virus program on the phone and updating the system regularly. It is also a good habit to set up a mechanism to control access to the device and take care of memory encryption – sums the expert.
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