The Information Regulator has said security guards at estates can't collect copies of IDs or licences, or ask for email addresses or phone numbers

Bad Ballie said:
Bottom line here is that scanning your ID gives the Security Company or Estate all your details, it doesn't matter what they specifically use or look at, all the data is recorded to their system. The second thing is that no policy or procedure is above the law. These Estates and companies will deny all liability when your details are stolen from them or your ID gets stolen. Personally, I am happy to present my ID on demand but simply turn around and leave when they try to either scan or photograph it. (a photo of the barcode is just as easy to scan as the original document) People moan about government overreach in so many areas of their lives but seem happy to hand over their information to random strangers?
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All the data breaches with my full details in it came from government branches, a security estate or complex breach is small potatoes, they might get 10k names and ID, as opposed to millions from the much less secure government breaches, and the same for the credit agency breaches, which probably gave them the entire economically active population info, along with ll the details they need to open fake accounts, and all your bank details as well.
 
Justanotherguybythesea said:
All the data breaches with my full details in it came from government branches, a security estate or complex breach is small potatoes, they might get 10k names and ID, as opposed to millions from the much less secure government breaches, and the same for the credit agency breaches, which probably gave them the entire economically active population info, along with ll the details they need to open fake accounts, and all your bank details as well.
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It is rarely the estate itself collecting the information. It is usually the security company, like G4S, ADT or Fidelity, doing the collecting. If they are breached, which is much less likely, it will be a significant amount of data.
 
Justanotherguybythesea said:
All the data breaches with my full details in it came from government branches, a security estate or complex breach is small potatoes, they might get 10k names and ID, as opposed to millions from the much less secure government breaches, and the same for the credit agency breaches, which probably gave them the entire economically active population info, along with ll the details they need to open fake accounts, and all your bank details as well.
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You would be surprised how big those DBs get. Remember these estates usually contract gate security to security companies and they have thousands of locations, with thousands of visitors each month.

I once saw a AWS bill for one of those systems, 7 figures per month just in connectivity, database and compute, not even storage.
 
The information stored in your license barcode is actually scary (I hosted a system for short while until the security company kept complaining the industrial wifi kept not working and *random moans*). Not happy with the closed wifi, they say ok, they'll host and back to they need wifi again, with internet... for free. No. I know what sites the guards visit at 2AM when hovering around the public wifi area -- could you imagine...

I have long been booted off that security committee, because I kept saying no X security company, you can't have internet (for free) and why do you need to scan licenses. The excuse was because the baddies won't use a fake (if the decryption keys are publicly available [else their scanners wouldn't work] then not impossible to make a new private key that works) or stolen license card. Sure Jan, sure...

Reality: the guy scanning is probably a grade D or C (look up their salaries on PSiRA and a big chunk is deducted for stuff) and mostly DGAF. The security company area reps usually give me a queazy feeling (say a lot then the backend staff enforce the opposite), but mostly I suspect a fair chunk of them sell data.

Then there is the frustration levels: guards that believe they are the law and get all iffy if your license disc/card is expired and demand the current card (I display an old one with some old data) before letting you out. Nevermind that a lot of people have to hunt for their license (ladies often get out the car, gingerly hop around on heels that could kill, open the boot, dig...dig some more... vibrating and shaking... found it...gingerly slink back). In short, the scanning process is a more than a few seconds to the better part of minutes, and compounded during rush hours. I have been to complexes/estates that all but want the dna report of your 2nd born, the milkman and a commissioner of oafs stamped declaration. Just doesn't jive with my colander headgear.

GOOD NEWS though
I have seen a few places with newer systems: stare at a camera and shake head (seems to do a liveness check) with ANPR in front, then the spikes go down and the boom goes up... time to use launch control and off to the races. Sure fake plates are an obvious thing, but the trick is slowing down the stolen vehicle with a trunk full of weapons from getting back out and get a nice pic of them smiling first. Ohh, and fewer smacked down gooseneck polls with the non-touch sensors that don't like you in particular.

Security theater vs inconspicuously engineered.
 
As some say, they would turn back if asked for ID to be scanned. I live on such estate and that is exactly what we want. Go away if we can't ID you. On top, you'll need an invite and access code from a resident, else also no entry, even with ID. We pay good money for that kind of security. Maybe a contributing factor to the fact that we had not a single crime on the estate in 10 years.
 
A cryptographic public key is required to decode this data. This key was initially disclosed only to service providers but has since been leaked online.

Any estate or office park can easily build or purchase a system with a PDF417 barcode reader that scans and decodes the barcode without special permission from the department.
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And this is why all of this is a joke. Goverment is a bunch of clowns.
 
Justanotherguybythesea said:
All the data breaches with my full details in it came from government branches, a security estate or complex breach is small potatoes, they might get 10k names and ID, as opposed to millions from the much less secure government breaches, and the same for the credit agency breaches, which probably gave them the entire economically active population info, along with ll the details they need to open fake accounts, and all your bank details as well.
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Private companies still do not have any right to your details, especially at this level.
 
Pax said:
As some say, they would turn back if asked for ID to be scanned. I live on such estate and that is exactly what we want. Go away if we can't ID you. On top, you'll need an invite and access code from a resident, else also no entry, even with ID. We pay good money for that kind of security. Maybe a contributing factor to the fact that we had not a single crime on the estate in 10 years.
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If you have the invite code, why must you also be strip searched?
 
wingnut771 said:
If you have the invite code, why must you also be strip searched?
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I can think of a scenario where your cellphone with the code got stolen and the affirmative shopper enters the estate in your name, hence security must ensure the person entering is the person who was invited
 
Pax said:
I can think of a scenario where your cellphone with the code got stolen and the affirmative shopper enters the estate in your name, hence security must ensure the person entering is the person who was invited
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How does the shopper open your texts? Should we all be strip searched in the unlikely event that this could happen where the phone is snatched out your hand then they immediately start searching your texts then go to your friends house on the other side of town before the phone can be tracked?
 
Pax said:
I can think of a scenario where your cellphone with the code got stolen and the affirmative shopper enters the estate in your name, hence security must ensure the person entering is the person who was invited
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Anyway, when I was holidaying in CoCT at a friends that use this visitor keypad code, you just arrive and punch in the code and be on your way. You can even use the owners entrance when there are too many checkers 6060 bikes in the visitors entrance.
 
I've made plenty of scenes at various office parks and security estates. Eventually they let you in.
 
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