The most significant changes in U.S. passport law in recent years are set to begin this month. And while they aim to help in terms of homeland security, federal officials should make sure they don't create more problems in another important security concern — personal identity theft.

The changes at first seem to both strengthen procedures and overhaul the system. Starting Jan. 23, air travelers will, for the first time, have to show a passport to cross the U.S. border into Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. A driver's license used to suffice, but no longer.

Even for those traveling by car, a passport will be required by 2009. In the meantime, the State Department plans to offer a "passport card" at a lower price than a normal passport. But even those are changing. Later in the spring, all U.S. citizens applying for a passport will usher in the digital age with the new e-passport that incorporates "smart chip" technology.

All these changes, however, come with pitfalls. A passport card adds yet another document to the bureaucracy, and thus increases the opportunity for identity theft. And even the new e-passport has drawbacks as data transferred electronically can be intercepted.

The State Department has worked to prevent such data interceptions and improve encryption methods, but it shouldn't end there. Even privacy experts aren't satisfied that enough safeguards have been added.

Digital technology is dynamic. As long as the State Department is one step ahead of hackers, the change from paper passports to e-passports could benefit us all. But, the department must redouble its efforts to make certain that what's good for homeland security doesn't compromise our individual privacy and personal security.