2008 Woodie Awards
Technological leaps a risky matter
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Rocket Letters
To the editor:
The prospect of RFIDs is one that has a promising outlook, but looks can be deceiving. There are very real security and privacy issues that need to be addressed in advance of implementing a new RFID system on campus. There are reasons why Slippery Rock will become the first institution to use RFIDs as a personal identification system, and it isn't because it's a new technology. The current conception of RFID has been around since the 1980s.
Many companies use RFIDs to track items and shipments in the supply chain to help reduce costs and waste. Hospitals use them to identify and track medical equipment. The overwhelming implementation of RFID technology is to track locations and information about products and assets, not people. Anyone carrying one will essentially be wearing a homing beacon, broadcasting personal information to anyone within speaking distance. Limiting the number of transactions per day and implementing PINs are solutions to problems faced by old technologies like bar codes and magnetic strips. RFIDs present new problems and need new security measures which haven't been tried and tested yet.
While President Smith says that "there were a lot of people involved in this decision," the announcement at the State of the University is the first I and many other students and faculty have heard of it. For something as uncertain as the redesign of the University's ID system, I would expect more open public debate about the subject. The announcement of such a short time-table, implementation by the fall semester leaves one to wonder why the campus community wasn't informed much earlier of this idea. If in fact this plan has been in the works for over a year, why didn't we hear about it a year ago?
More and more I feel that when it comes to decisions that affect the student body, the administration doesn't take into account the opinions and ideas of the students themselves. "Win a Free iPod by Filling Out This Survey" doesn't count as constructive communication among the students, faculty and administration. I know as a student on this campus, I want to be involved in the development of decisions that will affect me. An open channel of communication between students and their University is the best means of providing an outstanding educational experience here at SRU.
Alex Cline
Senior
Computer Science
The prospect of RFIDs is one that has a promising outlook, but looks can be deceiving. There are very real security and privacy issues that need to be addressed in advance of implementing a new RFID system on campus. There are reasons why Slippery Rock will become the first institution to use RFIDs as a personal identification system, and it isn't because it's a new technology. The current conception of RFID has been around since the 1980s.
Many companies use RFIDs to track items and shipments in the supply chain to help reduce costs and waste. Hospitals use them to identify and track medical equipment. The overwhelming implementation of RFID technology is to track locations and information about products and assets, not people. Anyone carrying one will essentially be wearing a homing beacon, broadcasting personal information to anyone within speaking distance. Limiting the number of transactions per day and implementing PINs are solutions to problems faced by old technologies like bar codes and magnetic strips. RFIDs present new problems and need new security measures which haven't been tried and tested yet.
While President Smith says that "there were a lot of people involved in this decision," the announcement at the State of the University is the first I and many other students and faculty have heard of it. For something as uncertain as the redesign of the University's ID system, I would expect more open public debate about the subject. The announcement of such a short time-table, implementation by the fall semester leaves one to wonder why the campus community wasn't informed much earlier of this idea. If in fact this plan has been in the works for over a year, why didn't we hear about it a year ago?
More and more I feel that when it comes to decisions that affect the student body, the administration doesn't take into account the opinions and ideas of the students themselves. "Win a Free iPod by Filling Out This Survey" doesn't count as constructive communication among the students, faculty and administration. I know as a student on this campus, I want to be involved in the development of decisions that will affect me. An open channel of communication between students and their University is the best means of providing an outstanding educational experience here at SRU.
Alex Cline
Senior
Computer Science
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