Article: New multi-million dollar police security card system an IT misery ...

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

New multi-million dollar police security card system an IT misery for Bligh Government

New multi-million dollar police security card system an IT misery for Bligh Government

    Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    September 15, 2011 12:00AM

IN the latest IT misery for the Bligh Government, a new multimillion-dollar police security card system has flopped.

Electronic smartcards, meant to improve building and computer security, are proving problematic for officers who have found themselves shut out of their workplace.

Police officers revealed the new contactless cards were "introduced with much fanfare early last year, but never really enforced".

"They give you a blank one to stick behind your card at headquarters so you can get into the building. You're no chance with the smartcard," an officer said. "The pics rub off on them, too."

The Queensland Police Service was the first in Australia to adopt the new electronic ID cards, which were supposed to increase protection against external threats, such as hacking.

Queensland University of Technology's Emeritus Professor of Computer Science Bill Caelli said the problem appeared to be with the management and organisation of the system's software.

"If the commands on the card are incompatible with those on the door, it won't work as it should," Prof Caelli said.

"If the mastercard is working, then the problem lies with the messages between the individually assigned smartcards and the doors."

Opposition police spokesman John-Paul Langbroek said there were "serious questions that needed to be answered" about the security card failure.

"We need to know how it's happened and why we've got another computer problem from a Government that's wasted millions of dollars on unreliable systems," Mr Langbroek said.

In another smartcard glitch, public transport go card users are finding information is being over-ridden by other cards, causing anxiety and confusion.

Brisbane commuter Dominic Cole experienced the problem himself when he swiped his go card in his wallet and it came up as being out of credit.

He now believes interference from his gym card caused it to access another person's go card.

"When I scanned the card to check the balance, it came up with someone else's account history - where they had recently travelled and the balance on their account," Mr Cole said.

"But it didn't come up with a card number or name."

The problem was solved by taking his go card out of his wallet and scanning it separately.

A TransLink spokesman said their user's guide recommended people "always remove their go card from their bag or wallet before touching the reader, to ensure there is no interference"

[ozbob]

From the RAIL Back On Track's Smart Go Card User Guide page 9

11. When using a go card present the go card flat to the
readers. As soon as the touch is registered quickly
remove the card. Personally I keep my go card in the
plastic go card holder rather than in a wallet as some other
cards could interfere. The go card is a RFID card, other
RFID cards e.g. a corporate staff identity card, some
student cards can interfere. Do not bend the go card!

[Derwan]

I have my Go Card in the back of my wallet so it's the closest card to the reader.  Occasionally the reader picks up my Visa payWave card and shows "Invalid Card".

[colinw]

I have experienced something similar when attempting to scan directly from my wallet.  I have another card, which gives access to coffee vending machines at some of our sites, that appears to be based on the same RFID technology as Go Card.  If both cards are within view of a Go Card reader I get some really weird results. On the other hand, the card that gets me in at work doesn't interfere at all.

It is much easier to just use a separate Go Card holder.

[O_128]

I have my Go Card in the back of my wallet so it's the closest card to the reader.  Occasionally the reader picks up my Visa payWave card and shows "Invalid Card".

wish i could just use my visa pay wave as my go card.