Investigative Body Unveiled: The Commission Revealed
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has unveiled its new electronic travel documents, designed by the Austrian State Printing House (OeSD). These advanced passports incorporate a range of security features, aligning with international standards for biometric e-passports.
The security elements of the ECOWAS electronic passports include an embedded electronic microprocessor chip containing biometric data such as facial images and fingerprints. Holographic images embossed in a thin film laminate provide physical protection against forgery, while random chip identifiers prevent unauthorized tracking of the passport chip.
Basic Access Control (BAC) encrypts communication between the passport chip and readers, requiring keys derived from personal data printed in the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) to prevent eavesdropping. Passive Authentication (PA) uses digital signatures and hash values to detect any unauthorized modification of data on the chip, ensuring data integrity. Extended Access Control (EAC) provides additional security for sensitive biometric data like fingerprints, preventing unauthorized reading and updates.
These layers of security ensure data protection, integrity, and privacy of the traveler's information, and prevent forgery or tampering of the travel document. The ECOWAS passports were introduced to promote regional integration and ease free movement, thus the OeSD’s design likely ensures compliance with ICAO standards for e-passports to enable international interoperability and security.
Data collection, enrollment, and personalization processes for the ECOWAS electronic travel document are structured to accommodate various locations, including scheduled visits to regional ECOWAS offices and mobile enrollment options. Eligible staff members can collect data at the ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja, and booklet personalization occurs solely at this location.
Each of the 15 ECOWAS member states is represented in the graphical design of the electronic travel document, with the map on the data page revealing hidden information when magnified. This intricate interplay of security features at various levels highlights OeSD's proficiency in delivering secure and sensitive documents, even in a smaller scale.
The ECOWAS electronic travel document project is another example of OeSD's success in delivering secure and sensitive electronic documents, showcasing their expertise, know-how, and management skills in a small-scale, highly sensitive, and secure electronic document project. The ECOWAS laissez-passer project, which demonstrates OeSD's ability to manage complex, secure electronic document projects effectively, further underscores this achievement.
References: [1] ECOWAS Electronic Travel Document: Advanced Security Features and Compliance with ICAO Standards. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.ecowas.int/en/ecowas-electronic-travel-document-advanced-security-features-and-compliance-icao-standards
[3] OeSD Secures Contract for ECOWAS Electronic Travel Document Project. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.oesd.at/en/news/oesd-secures-contract-ecowas-electronic-travel-document-project/
The advanced passports designed by OeSD for ECOWAS, such as the embedded electronic microprocessor chip and holographic images, utilize technology to provide security features against forgery and unauthorized tracking. Furthermore, basic access control, passive authentication, and extended access control technologies ensure data protection, integrity, and privacy for the traveler's information within the ECOWAS electronic travel document.
