Security and Privacy Threats of the Belgian Electronic Identity Card and Middleware

Abstract. The Belgian Electronic Identity Card was introduced in 2002. The card enables Belgian citizens to prove their identity digitally and to sign electronic documents. Today, many application developers foresee e-ID plugins in their applications. Users may even be forced to use their e-ID card to access certain services. However, inappropriate use of the card may cause harm to individuals. This paper gives a detailed overview of privacy and security dangers re-lated to the Belgian e-ID card and the current middleware. Existing threats are classified according to multiple categories. Finally, we point to possible solutions to tackle the weaknesses.