Advancing User-Centered Efficiency Through Credential-Based Identity
In previous Trust Talks blog posts, we’ve discussed the characteristics and potential of digital, credential-based identification solutions. When compared to current identification frameworks and physical credentials, technology-enabled digital credentials offer more control for users, improved efficiency for verifiers, and greater security.
Recently, Bart Suichies, Head of Digital and Software at SICPA, presented to the Federal Identity Forum about the key elements and benefits of digital, credential-based identity. Begun in 1995, the Federal Identity Forum (FedID) brings together identity experts to exchange information and enhance public-private collaboration to solve the federal government’s toughest identity challenges and help ensure a vibrant identity community.
Several of this year’s forum presentations focused on the next frontier in identity solutions. In his presentation, Suichies described the basic pillars of effective credential-based identity systems: digital, secure, verifiable credentials that can authenticated cryptographically, and decentralized identifiers (DIDS) that are globally unique, persistent, resolvable with high availability, and provably under the control of the holder. Credential-based identity solutions based on verifiable digital credentials and DIDS provide a range of benefits from reusable trust, data portability, and interoperability to cost efficiency, no vendor lock-in, and compliance by design.
Suichies tackled not only the fundamental characteristics of credential-based identity solutions, but why they represent such important innovation. “The global open standards upon which Credential Based Identity is built allow for a viable, cost-effective and secure way of addressing the challenges of building an inclusive, human-centered and privacy-respecting digital society,” Suichies said during his presentation. But what does that look like in practice?
To demonstrate the application and benefit in a real-world scenario, Suichies shared with Forum attendees a demonstration of how digital, credential-based identity frameworks can support the issuance and verification of a digital permanent resident card. The work on permanent resident cards is part of SICPA’s work with DHS through the Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP), which you can read more about here.
Interested in learning more about credential-based identity and how it can effectively streamline the issuance, verification, and control of individual identity? You can find Suichies entire presentation here.
