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by dion.
Original Post: Chip and Pin Credit Card System
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Bruce Schneier has written about easy to remember PINS with respect to the Chip and Pin system that countries like the UK are putting into practice.
What is this Chip and Pin?
Each credit card has a chip on it. When you purchase something, you put in your credit card, and then put in your pin number. If you are at a restaurant, the waiter will normally bring over a handset to do this.
The ideal is that signatures (non-digital) are a joke. So, let's make the credit card useless without a special token that only the owner knows about.
Currently the system is out there in the UK, and soon it will be mandatory (there is a grace period as everyone gets updated cards etc... although most cards have had them for a few years).
As Bruce points out, some people are scared that they will forget their PIN number, and laughes at some credit card agencies for saying:
Keep forgetting your PIN? It's easy to change with chip and PIN. To something more memorable like a birthday or your lucky numbers.
That is indeed dumb :)
A lot of other people are worried about having someone look over your shoulder, nick your pin, and then hold the key to anything!
I don't really have that worry, and you can at least be a little careful when putting it in. How easy is it NOW that someone can:
a) Easiely learn your signature
b) Does anyone REALLY check your signature?
In the US I put "SEE ID" instead of a signature, and make them ask for my drivers license. This extra step wouldn't work in the UK as everyone is too scared to get an evil STATE ID ;)
Personally, I hope we get the chip and pin here in the US soon.
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