Continuing CatCard problems are vexing

One would think that our messages of caution and concern about the CatCard have gotten across to university administrators and students.

One might even think that positive developments have occurred since the debacle surrounding the illegal release of student, faculty and staff Social Security numbers this spring and the subsequent threat of federal investigation.

One would be wrong.

Despite our best efforts to urge reevaluation of what was an poorly implemented program to begin with, the CatCard and the CatCard team has proceeded pell mell down the original path. This contingency has been and remains intolerable and as problems continue to surround this so-called futuristic ID card, the question marks grow even larger in our minds.

This poorly implemented program and its surrounding controversy not only is detrimental to the university's reputation, but is most detrimental to the unknowing CatCard holders: UA students, faculty and staff. These are the people that make the university tick and they deserve more respect that to have an unsafe identification card so surrounded by controversy that to use it leaves more insecurity than security.

A little background

For those of you who missed all the hubbub, here's what's at stake.

The CatCard is supposed to be the end-all, be-all of student identification documents. It has the potential to access your bank account and your long distance telephone service, not to mention the UA library, Student Recreation Center and campus residence halls.

Yet, despite good intentions and a good idea, the CatCard team erred bigtime by releasing student, faculty and staff Social Security numbers to private corporations - a violation of federal law. This came to light in April and although the numbers were recalled and all appeared calm, one would think the CatCard team would reevaluate their practices in light of such a booboo. This apparently never happened.

SmartChip

As you can read in today's cover story, new information indicates that the SmartChip embedded in each CatCard is not so smart after all. The security and encryption on CatCard's Smart Chips, which stores personal information and 'electronic money,' is questionable at best.

This is a national problen, yes, but also one that students were not made aware of upon receiving their CatCards - and certainly one of which parents are unaware as they load up the CatCard with incoming freshmen's fall allowance.

As with any emerging technology of this nature, aspects like encryption and security are proprietary and prone to error with anticipated fixes in the future. This does not take away from the fact that CatCard recipients should have been notified of these flaws.

Even more daunting from the UA's perspective should be the possibility that a hacker might get through the CatCard Smart Chip encryption and defraud university merchants by purchasing goods with phantom money unethically transferred to the card.

Another brick in the wall.

Check it out, please

The bottom line is that the CatCard and its implementation procedures still warrant reevaluation - especially in light of the quite real Smart Chip security risks that occur despite information encryption. It also is vexing that CatCard director Liz Taylor and other members of her team have consistently declined to speak with us. We should not be the first ones to inform the campus of these risks - people within the CatCard Office and its steering committee should be up-to-date on these issues and also should be speaking of of these contingencies and potential problems.

CatCarders: Please check it out and do what's best for your customers - the UA community at large.