SDW InterOp 2016 statement regarding claims of ePassport reading speeds

21/06/16

The organisers of SDW InterOp 2016 would like to, in the strongest terms, clarify that any vendor claims being made surrounding the reading speed of ePassports is not in any way an official result of the tests.

Official results from the tests have yet to be published, but measurement of any reading times was NOT performed, in either the crossover or conformity parts of the event. Any such claims surrounding speed therefore must be considered unofficial, unverified and potentially unreliable.

 

 UPDATE: The final results of the SDW InterOp 2016 are available here. 

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 Please see below for information about 2016's InterOp event:

 

SDW 2016 is delighted to announce that a new round of ePassport interoperability testing will take place at a special event to be held alongside the SDW show on 10-12 May 2016 in London.

The interoperability tests (SDW InterOp 2016) will be focused on Supplemental Access Control (SAC), a set of security protocols to protect personal data stored in electronic ID documents such as ePassports and ID cards.

Although SAC has been implemented for some years, interoperability and conformity challenges still exist – particularly as more SAC enabled eMRTDs enter circulation, and with the introduction of new security mechanisms such as “Password Authenticated Connection Establishment with Chip Authentication Mapping” (PACE-CAM).

PACE-CAM is specified in Technical Report BSI TR-03110 “Advanced Security Mechanisms for Machine Readable Travel Documents and eIDAS token”. PACE-CAM combines PACE and Chip Authentication (CA) into one protocol leading to faster ID document verification.

About the event

This InterOp event targets both document manufacturers and document verification system providers and integrators.

To lead and supervise the technical aspects of the tests, SDW has once again secured the independent services of secunet Security Networks AG, a leading German supplier of high-quality IT security.

secunet has broad experience in this field including acting as the technical lead in the 2006 Berlin ePassport interoperability tests, and SDW InterOp 2013, which focused on prototype implementations of SAC.

The following scenarios will be investigated:

• Evaluate SAC document conformity according to ICAO’s Test Specification RF Protocol and Application Test Standard for eMRTD – Part 3 V2.07;
• Evaluate document behaviour in a typical document verification process;
• Evaluate crossover behaviour between provided document samples and verification systems.

The SDW InterOp 2016 event is open to:

• Documents (booklets or cards) providers supporting SAC - plus providers of inlays and chip operating systems;
• Document verification system providers;
• Observers – passive attendees who will be able to observe the tests and gather information.

An“Unofficial” ePassport Troubleshooting Office will also be set up to provide ePassport document conformity advice.

The event begins with document registration and set-up on 10 May. Document conformity and cross-over testing will take place on 11 May. This will be followed on 12 May by a session within the SDW 2016 conference programme, which will include the high-level results of the conformity and crossover tests.

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View the list of SDW InterOp 2016 participants

View the SDW InterOp 2016 press release

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