United Kingdom
A “feature-complete” version of the new online system for logging into all government services is due to be ready for public testing within four weeks.
Public Technology reports that work on the One Login project, led by the Government Digital Service, began in September 2020. Once ready, the system will replace an existing patchwork of almost 200 separate accounts and 44 different login methods currently in use across various departments and services.
In a newly published update provided to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay revealed that work on the login system “is on track to deliver a minimum viable product by 31 March 2022 [and] further features and services will then be added over the next three years”.
The MVP version that will be finalised in the coming weeks will be ready for testing by citizens, according to Barclay’s letter to PACAC.
Europe
The European Commission has announced the impending launch of at least four large-scale pilots to test the deployment of the European Digital Identity Wallet. The pilots will deploy the European Digital Identity Wallet (DIW) in national eID ecosystems operated by Member States.
They will also look at the successful implementation of the revised eIDAS regulatory framework by public and private sector service providers to exchange digital identity credentials across Member States.
The Commission first unveiled plans in September 2020 for the development of trusted digital identities that can be used throughout the EU. Almost a year later, the EU confirmed it was working on a new digital wallet, secured by biometrics, that would allow EU citizens to verify their ID, access public and private services across the bloc, and store digital documents.
The official launch of the digital ID wallet is scheduled to take place in September 2022. Ahead of its release, the Commission is now calling on Member States to work on a toolbox that would address the technical aspects of the future system. Proposals for the pilots are due on May 17, 2022, the EC call for proposals states.
Canada / United States
Canadian Wellfield Technologies has announced a strategic partnership with, and investment in US digital identity firm Verif-y.
Verif-y will provide its Identity Authentication and Verification capabilities to Wellfield, to be integrated into the Company’s MoneyClip app, and Wellfield will provide Verif-y with MoneyClip’s back-office functionality to be integrated into Verif-y’s US mobile offering.
As part of the Strategic Partnership, Wellfield and Verif-y have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Wellfield will purchase a minority interest in Verif-y.
Global
The Identity and Access Management Market will surpass $26.6 billion by 2030. It will increase from $10.32 billion in 2019 at a CAGR of 14.5 percent, according to a forecast by Market Intellix.
The emergence of cloud-based identity and access management software has fuelled the market growth. The introduction of mandatory policies by national governmental cyber authorities to avoid data loss and enhance protection is a major factor driving the growth of the identity and access management solution industry. IAM solutions have also been needed by the proliferation of Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD), the Internet of Things (IoT), mobility, and remote workers to be adopted by organizations, driving growth.
Sierra Leone
Open-source digital ID provider MOSIP and digital public goods organization OpenG2P say they are bringing together their solutions in the form of a platform that will enable the governments of Sierra Leone and elsewhere, businesses and institutions to deliver services and social assistance to users. The platform is based on digital ID and a Government-to-Person (G2P) ecosystem.
According to a statement announcing the partnership, OpenG2P which is co-founded by the Government of Sierra Leone and two other entities, and powered by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), will together with MOSIP and its open-source digital solutions, help bring more benefits to users.
Europe
A group of international cybersecurity experts, including non-profit digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), are calling on European lawmakers to scrap a proposed amendment to Article 45 in the EU’s Digital Identity Framework (eIDAS).
The proposal would direct leading web browsers like Firefox, Google, and Safari to accept Qualified Website Authentication Certificates that circumvent typical security standards and could make it easier for threat actors to steal user data. Privacy advocates feel allowing these certificates would “put the entire website security ecosystem at risk by requiring browsers to trust third parties designated by the government without any security assurances.”
A letter signed by the EFF’s leaders, along with nearly forty cybersecurity researchers, advocates, and practitioners from Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Taiwan, the UK, and the US was sent yesterday to members of the European Parliament imploring they amend the revised Article 45.2 of the eIDAS.
Canada
The Canadian Bankers Association has publicly called for a federated national ID scheme that would link various government-issued documents, such as driver’s licenses and health cards, as well as payment information and fingerprint and face biometrics. The organization made its case in a White Paper titled ‘Canada’s Digital ID Future – A Federated Approach’
