The security measures of ePassports that conform to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) specifications are covered in this paper.

The security mechanisms and the data storage design are discussed in great detail. Several actual and potential attacks are also described, and recommendations for addressing them are presented. The attacks are directed toward identifying a passport and reading the data it contains; no counterfeiting attacks are covered.

Ample references are provided. In the PDF copy I reviewed, not all of the illustrations rendered properly; this may have been an issue with the local reader rather than the original document. At 37 pages, the paper’s length is sufficient to cover the material presented.

In summary, this paper is recommended reading for those with an interest in the security of international travel, and professionals with an interest in security design, particularly in relation to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.