When I checked in at the airport, I used a credit card at the airline kiosk to print my e-ticket. They didn’t charge anything but they did use it to verify that I was who I said I was and compared my name on the ticket to my name on the credit card. Do you suppose the airline is storing my name and credit card in an encrypted state? I wonder how the airline verified that I’m not on the “no fly list” from the U.S. Federal government – did they send it clear ‘over the wire’ or do they have a secure pipe to transport my data?
As I was getting on the plane, they scanned my boarding card and I saw my seat number and name show up on the display screen – just great, the guy behind me knows not only where I’m sitting (no big deal) but also my name – which he doesn’t need to know.
Thinking ahead, I’m going to go through the same routine over the next couple of weeks – airlines, hotels, restaurants and stores on two continents. I’m hopeful that everyone will take care in protecting not only my credit card data, but also my personal information. Realistically though, the world has a long way to go before we get there!
Next stop London! Where I’ll be talking to you from Infosecurity Europe 2009.
Cheerio,
