Australia needs a single vaccine passport system

Australia’s journey out of COVID-19 restrictions hinges on the implementation of a secure, tamper-proof vaccine passport system, according to TrustGrid Chief Digital Privacy Officer David Palmer.

The ease with which vaccine certificates can be forged using basic software has demonstrated the vulnerability of Australia’s current system, Palmer said. He said it will be vital that Australia gets the system right the first time for restrictions to be eased with minimal pain.

“Australia needs one seamless, cohesive system that will quickly and accurately validate the vaccination status of an individual, open up the doors for free movement and be trusted by all Australians,” he said.

“At the moment, the federal system in place is not as effective and secure as it could be and needs to be. There are flaws. We’ve already seen Senator Rex Patrick show how easy it is to create a fraudulent digital COVID vaccination certificate.”

Palmer said there are a number of technical solutions that can be put in place to alleviate the potential for certificates to be flawed and maintain trust in the system.

These solutions include confidential computing, cryptography, encryption and distributed ledger technology.

Palmer said that key to the integrity of a secure and effective digital vaccination certificate system is issuing individuals with a unique QR code, as well as giving individuals full control over the access, tracking and use of their data.

“The QR code is a way forward. Just as it has helped people check in and out of locations and that information being traced and verified, the QR code has the ability to link information to show an individual’s vaccine status,” Palmer said.

“So once someone is vaccinated, the government would issue that person with a unique QR code that would be recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register. The QR code allows for the binding of a photograph of a person along with their name, date of birth and vaccination status and all that information is cryptographically protected so the individual has control of that data.”

Palmer added that the system that will be implemented will need to operate effectively both between states and globally.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/denisismagilov