Marlinspike suffers RSA authentication woes

Authentication expert Moxie Marlinspike had trouble getting into the RSA security conference in San Francisco on Monday, due to a lack of ID.

Marlinspike, who was due to speak at the conference, arrived to register on Monday afternoon shortly after ZDNet UK. Marlinspike was asked by the registration staff if he had any picture ID, such as a driving licence, to prove who he was. Marlinspike, who is a noted privacy expert, replied that he does not drive, and that he did not have any picture ID with him.

"Google me," he told one burly member of the registration staff. "There are loads of pictures of me on Google."

ZDNet UK vouched for Marlinspike's identity, having interviewed him in London in January. This was not enough for the registration staff, who disappeared into a small room, saying they would use Google. Marlinspike was eventually admitted.

This is not the first time Marlinspike has had problems getting into a place. On a more serious note, Marlinspike, a US citizen, had his laptop and mobile phones confiscated by border guards for a number of hours upon entry into the US in 2010, according to technology publication Wired.