Should trials prove a success, citizens would no longer need digital certificates or extra user IDs and passwords to validate their online identity when using government e-services. A proof of concept study is currently underway which is testing how individuals could authenticate their identity using Visa 'Verified by Visa' secure infrastructure.
Visa's service allows credit card holders to password-protect their details when shopping on the internet, and it is thought that this could be extended for securely accessing eGovernment services.
The move follows a realisation by the Government that the challenge of authenticating citizens online has become one of the biggest issues facing its eGovernment delivery programme.
Digital certificates and public key infrastructure were previously its favoured system of trust for online transactions, but having failed to take off in the way imagined, the Government is now having to look at more flexible and user-friendly solutions to offer real-time authentication.
One such proposed solution is to extend the verified identity infrastructure already set up by established trust service providers.
Other organisations said to be partnering in the project include HM Customs & Excise, the EssexOnline local government consortium as well as GUIDE, the European Commission research project on eGovernment identity management.
Quelle: DMeurope, 22.06.2004
