CR80News | After security breach, Harvard unveils new contactless IDs

Thursday, July 17, 2008

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University announced that students, faculty, and staff will receive new identification cards based on contactless smart card technology when they return to campus this fall.

The motivation to replace the 15-year-old swipe-style student ID cards occurred last year after a student was caught duplicating the ID cards of the university’s president and an assistant dean among others. The student was able to access buildings and gates across campus with only knowledge of the ID numbers then used on the cards and a $200 card reader he bought from eBay. The new cards are intended to bolster the security of buildings by adding encryption technology and more complex security procedures.

A new survey from Euro Kartensysteme shows that Germans are starting to embrace the idea of contactless and NFC payments.

Out of 1,040 Germans aged 18-59, 43% responded that they would like to make contactless payments if given the opportunity, of which 58% percent would make their payments with a debit card card, 41% with a credit card and 50% with an NFC phone.

Bear Pass rolls out at Missouri universitiy

Missouri State University in Springfield is rolling out its new Bear Pass, a student ID card that also provides door access and debit card functionality. The purpose behind the new card is to make the campus safer while keeping a student’s information secure, according to school officials.

Loss of swipe access at Harvard disrupts thousands

About 7,600 Harvard ID cards that enable access to dorm rooms and other areas that required swipe access, stopped working for a while yesterday due to “a server configuration change.”

Harvard, ColorID hosts New England Campus Identification & Security Seminar

Harvard Campus Services - ID Card Services co-hosted with ColorID the New England Campus Identification & Security Seminar.

The one-day event brought together card service managers from eight regional colleges and universities for a discussion about new card technologies and best card practices.

Stratfor taps CSID for customer ID protection

Stratfor, a publisher of global intelligence and analysis, announced that CSID, a provider of global, enterprise-level identity protection and fraud detection technologies, has been retained to assist Stratfor customers whose financial information may have been compromised by recent cyber attacks.

Fake Harvard student discovered by campus police

A 27-year-old man posing as a Harvard undergraduate student stayed in the dorms, ate in the school cafeteria and chatted with many Harvard students via Facebook before being found out by campus police. He was cited for trespassing and using a false identification card.

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After security breach, Harvard unveils new contactless IDs