Cybersecurity professionals have raised concerns over the security of digital driver licences, particularly regarding the use of in-app holograms as anti-fraud measures.
These holograms, featured on digital licences in New South Wales and Victoria, are being described as “cheap coding tricks”.
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Vanessa Teague, an adjunct associate professor at the Australian National University and CEO of Thinking Cybersecurity, called the hologram “complete nonsense”.
“It’s a scam. There’s no polite way of putting it,” Teague said.
She emphasised that the hologram is not a true security feature and urged the government to remove the feature to prevent a false sense of security.
Michael Uren, a software developer, also echoed these concerns, saying that the hologram can be easily replicated using generative AI and a few lines of code.
He criticised the verification instructions provided by state governments, which suggest that visual checks of the hologram can confirm the authenticity of a licence.
Uren argued that this approach opens pathways for forgery, potentially allowing underage individuals to purchase alcohol or cigarettes, or gain access to licensed venues.
Despite these criticisms, state governments maintain that their digital driver licences meet international security standards.
A spokesperson for Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads said that the digital licence app has undergone extensive security and penetration testing.
“”The app has gone through a range of security and penetration tests throughout its development and has passed these tests with flying colours.”
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