Monday, May 26, 2008

CFP08 Feedback/CFP09 thoughts?

Everybody knows that directly after a conference, while we're still recuperating and it's all fresh in our mind, is the best time to gather feedback and thoughts about next years' conference -- which is going to be in Washington DC in spring or summer 2008, specific date still TBD.

Please use this thread for feedback, ideas of what you want to see more or less about, thoughts about topics and formats for workshops or tutorials, and anything else about the conference that crosses your mind.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am european based and was earlier participating in several CFPs. However after introducing the US Visit programme this is no longer possible due to the abuse of biometric surveillance.

I would like somehow to see this serious issue of elimination of free traval beeing addressed.

Both as a specific attempt to close US boarders less than 20 years after the Iron Curtain was taken down and as an attempt to destroy the passport system.

It bears on the conference itself as US Visit represent a serious violation of basic right through its unsecured biometrics controls. You are forced to accept a point of entry based on your biometrics alone.

Due the fact that biometrics can always be spoofed (merely physical constants), you thereby create an open risk of biometrics-based Identity Theft.

Similar as you create a point of biometrics certification, you also create a third-party witness documenting that anybody presenting these biometrics IS ME.

Further US pushed self-destructive principles into the ICAO passport standards based on unsecure RFID communication and unsecured spoffable third-party identity proofs in the form of certified biometrics. This means that not only will the passports fail and have to be revoked, they also create a structure a border control where you hardcode a "standard" that is certain to fail.

We know scientifically that the above is bad for security as it create open points of attack. See for instance this roadmapping report for security research as part of the large EU FP7 research programme. (Page 14)
http://www.securitytaskforce.eu/dmdocuments/securist_ab_recommendations_issue_v3_0.pdf

We should keep in mind that this problem is not isolated to border controls but is creeping up on us everywhere where biometrics is being abused to control people. This create risks of identity theft with proofs that courts accept as proof despite the fact these proofs are spoofable.

You can be attacked anywhere as soon as you have once accepted to have your biometrics certified. And soon you cannot have a passport unless you accept this risk. Talk about human rights violation - a choice between your passport is being taken from you or you strip your security.

It all starts with US Visit and americans accepting that US attacks non-americans.