{"id":124516,"date":"2021-07-16T06:30:21","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T13:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"\/blogs\/?p=124516"},"modified":"2025-05-22T22:24:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T05:24:31","slug":"covid-19-vaccine-passports-5-security-tips-for-you-and-your-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/covid-19-vaccine-passports-5-security-tips-for-you-and-your-family\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 Vaccine Passports: 5 Security Tips for You and Your Family"},"content":{"rendered":"

Depending on where your\u00a0travels take you, you might need a new passport\u2014a COVID-19 vaccine passport.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In an effort to\u00a0kickstart travel and\u00a0local\u00a0economies, these so-called\u00a0vaccine\u00a0passports are more accurately a certificate.\u00a0Such a \u201cpassport\u201d can\u00a0offer proof\u00a0that\u00a0the\u00a0holder\u00a0has\u00a0been fully vaccinated against\u00a0the virus,\u00a0and there are several\u00a0of these passports\u00a0developing\u00a0in the wings.\u00a0With all of this in motion,\u00a0I wanted to give families a look at what\u2019s happening so that they can protect their privacy and identity online.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a COVID-19 vaccine passport?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Broadly speaking, a vaccine passport works like this: information\u00a0such as\u00a0name, date of birth, date of vaccination, vaccination type, and vaccination lot number are used to create a\u00a0digital certificate\u00a0stored in a smartphone\u00a0or a physical card. The holder can\u00a0then offer up that proof\u00a0of vaccination (or a recent negative test result)\u00a0to businesses, travel authorities, and the like.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The notion of a\u00a0vaccine\u00a0passport has\u00a0actually been\u00a0around for a while now,\u00a0such as\u00a0the\u00a0\u201cYellow Card\u201d\u00a0issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), which documents vaccination against diseases like cholera and yellow fever for travelers. Note that\u00a0currently\u00a0<\/span>there\u2019s no widely accepted standard for COVID-19 vaccine passports<\/span><\/a>. What\u2019s more,\u00a0conversations continue\u00a0around the concerns that come with\u00a0documenting and sharing vaccine information securely.\u00a0<\/span>Understandably, it\u2019s a complex topic<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who is using COVID-19 vaccine passports?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

As of this writing,\u00a0<\/span>the European Union has started issuing the \u201cEU Digital Covid Certificate,\u201d<\/span><\/a>\u00a0which allows its holders to travel throughout the EU freely without quarantine restrictions.\u00a0<\/span>The UK has its own version in the works, as do other nations in Asia, along with airline carriers<\/span>\u00a0too.\u00a0<\/span>In the U.S., \u201cpassports\u201d appear to be in development on the state level<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>rather than on the federal level<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0For example,\u00a0the state of New York has its Excelsior Pass program\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>California\u00a0has its Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record<\/span><\/a>\u00a0available to\u00a0residents.\u00a0Private\u00a0airlines and air travel industry groups have launched their own efforts as well, such as the International Air Travel\u00a0Association\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>IATA Travel Pass<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How these passports are rolled out and how they get used will vary, yet vaccine passports may\u00a0have an\u00a0impact on\u00a0the way people can\u00a0travel as we recover globally from the pandemic. In some cases, they may\u00a0even\u00a0determine if people can attend large events that can help localities reboot their economies and public life in general (i.e.,\u00a0concerts, sporting events,\u00a0and so on).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The development of vaccine passports and all the rules businesses and local authorities set around them may feel a bit out of our hands. However, in terms of your privacy and your family\u2019s privacy, plenty is still very much in your hands. The common denominator across all these vaccine passports is the exchange of personal information\u2014you and your family\u2019s personal information. And where personal information is shared, hackers are sure to follow. This presents a perfect opportunity for you and your family to review your online privacy practices and close any gaps, whether you plan on traveling or not.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Protect your privacy and identity along with your COVID-19 vaccination passport<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

I put together a few things you can do to make sure that you and your family can\u00a0navigate\u00a0the\u00a0future\u00a0use of these passports\u00a0with your privacy in mind:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t post pics of your vaccine card online:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

What seems\u00a0like an innocent celebration of your vaccination\u00a0could put your personal information at risk. The information captured on these cards varies by nation, region, and locality, with some\u00a0of the cards containing more information\u00a0than others. However, even basic\u00a0info\u00a0such as birthday, vaccine manufacturer and lot number, location of immunization, or doctor\u2019s name can provide the basis of a scam, such as a phishing email or phishing text message.\u00a0Likewise,\u00a0<\/span>such information could get\u00a0scooped up\u00a0by a hacker\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0used\u00a0to create phony vaccination credentials<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0Instead of posting that pic\u00a0of you and your vaccine card, go with a\u00a0happy\u00a0selfie instead.\u00a0And if you\u2019ve already posted, go ahead and delete the\u00a0image, better to remove it now and stay safe.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Watch out for scammers asking for personal information:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

As mentioned above, the uncertainty\u00a0around\u00a0vaccine passports,\u00a0and the\u00a0general\u00a0uncertainty\u00a0around the latter days of\u00a0the pandemic\u00a0overall,\u00a0creates opportunities for hackers and cybercrooks.\u00a0<\/span>Just as the early pandemic saw phony offers around miracle cures and\u00a0today we\u2019re seeing\u00a0offers\u00a0for\u00a0phony\u00a0vaccination cards<\/span><\/a>, you can bet\u00a0that scams\u00a0revolving around vaccine passports will follow. The best advice here is\u00a0to\u00a0go to a trusted source for information, like the\u00a0<\/span>NHS<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in the UK or the\u00a0<\/span>American Medical Association<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in the U.S.\u00a0Granted, cybercrooks will launch their phishing campaigns regardless. Here\u2019s what to do if one heads your way:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n